Red Skies Book II
by Jennifoofighter
Summary: The second part in the series. MS Fic, DOC, VM, JOC, and friendship all around.
1. Chapter 1

TITLE: Red Skies Book II of III  
AUTHOR: Jennifoofighter  
RATING: R  
KEYWORDS: MS, D/OC, J/OC, VM, and friendship all around.  
SPOILERS/TIMELINE: This is a sequel to my previous fic, 'Til the Sky Turned Blue  
ARCHIVE: Work in progress  
DISCLAIMER: Hank and Co. own everything _Without a Trace_. No copyright infringement is intended. Heaven knows if I had any control of the show I wouldn't have to write at all.  
SUMMARY: Red sky at morning, sailors take warning. Red sky at night, sailors delight.

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"_Having a child is like having your heart walk around outside of your body." Unknown_

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Chapter 1

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"Do you have any blank requisition forms?" Martin asked from where he sat across from Sam at the dining room table.

"I think so," she replied as she sifted through her files and paperwork, locating the form and handing it over to him. "Here you go."

"Thanks," he took the form and started filling it in when the telephone rang. He stood up, saying, "I'll get it," before disappearing into the kitchen.

Sam picked up her cup of coffee and took a drink as she read through her summation of her last case. She put the cup back down when she heard Grace screaming as she tore down the hallway.

"Mom! Mom!" Grace shouted as she stormed into the dining area, her pigtails flying, and lunged at Sam. "Nate and Eli won't leave me alone!"

Sam put down the file she was holding and gently rubbed her daughter's back. "What are they doing?"

Grace climbed onto the chair next to her and said, "They keep walking by my door and looking at me." Her little face was hot and flustered. "It's driving me crazy."

Sam stifled a laugh and pulled her daughter close to her. "You just have to be patient with them. They're only three and they just think you are really interesting." Grace snuggled up to her and she said, "Why don't you just stay in here with me?"

"Okay," the little girl replied tiredly as she rested her little head against Sam.

Danny and Emma had to take Mike and Diego into the hospital to run more tests. It seemed that if one half of identical twins was diagnosed the odds were twenty percent higher that the sibling would have the illness as well. Everyone was praying that Mike was going to be in the clear because if the treatments did not work for Diego then they would need a bone marrow donor and he would be the best match. So in the meantime, Sam and Martin offered to watch Eli whenever possible. While Nate loved having Eli over, Grace found that being outnumbered in her own home to be a huge inconvenience.

Martin walked in from the kitchen, the cordless phone pressed up against his ear. "Hey Sam, Parker wants to throw an anniversary party for mom and dad on the 27th, do you think you can take time off?"

"I'll have to double check with Jack but I'm pretty sure it should be fine," she replied as she gently ran Grace's pigtails through her fingers.

"Count us in," Martin replied into the phone. "Is there anything you need for us to do?"

Grace climbed off the chair and walked up to Martin saying, "I want to talk to Aunt Parker."

"Hang on, Gracie wants to say hi," he said into the receiver before handing the phone to his daughter.

"Hi," she said into the cell phone. She was quiet for a beat before saying, "I'm fine but Nate keeps bugging me. Brothers are such a pain."

Martin walked over and sat down in the chair vacated by Grace as they watched their daughter chat with her favorite auntie. He placed his forearms on the table and asked, "So what was she shouting about earlier?"

"The boys were pestering her," she replied with a smile as she signed off on her summation. She looked up as Grace was listening intently to whatever Parker was saying so she flipped open her file again and with a devilish grin added, "But don't worry, I'm sure Parker can share stories with Grace about how bothersome little brothers can be."

He leaned in close and asked, "Are you referring to me?"

She released a soft laugh and said, "If the shoe fits…"

He laughed before leaning over and kissing the side of her neck. She smiled, liking that in the last few weeks she and Martin were getting along more and arguing less. While neither one voiced it, she was pretty sure that her sessions with Lisa Harris were playing a huge part of it.

XXX

"_So that's why I am here," Sam explained to Lisa as she sat on the leather sofa, straightening out imaginary wrinkles on her pants. She had just finished telling Lisa what she had told Danny a week ago. _

"_I see," Lisa replied in her clinical undetached therapists tone. "So you mentioned that you felt connected to Brenda's feelings of missing an independent life but you could not imagine doing what she did either. Why do you think that is?" _

"_Are you asking me why I don't think I could leave my family?" she asked with a raised eyebrow. "Because I'm pretty sure that is the healthiest response." _

"_No, it's good that you love your family but what I am wondering about is just how strongly you felt about it," Lisa replied as she rested an elbow on the arm chair, resting her chin on her closed hand. "Why does what she did make you so sad?" _

_Sam shifted in her seat uncomfortably and turned her gaze to her hands. "I can't help but think about her kids, on how they must be feeling right now. I guess because I have been in their shoes," She took a deep breath and softly said, "My dad left when I was little." _

_Lisa nodded slowly and asked, "How old were you?"_

"_Six," she replied._

"_I see," Lisa said as she jotted it down in her notepad. "And how old is your daughter now?" _

_She folded her arms, suddenly feeling very defensive. "She's five." _

"_So your daughter is around the same age you were when your dad left. And you said that you and Martin have been having problems lately – do you think there is any connection?" she asked. "I mean, you're a mother now and you were saying that the kids take a lot of work, they can be exhausting..." _

"_I'm not worried that Martin is going to leave me and the kids if that's where you are headed. He isn't anything like my father," Sam scoffed. ."If anything he is my anti-father complex." _

_Lisa gave her a humorless smile and said, "That's good but I don't think it's Martin that you fear will leave. I think you're afraid that you will."_

"_That's ridiculous," she replied, keeping her arms folded tightly to her. "I just don't think that what I have been feeling can be attributed to something as simple as my dad leaving when I was a kid. It was over thirty years ago."_

"_It isn't simple. Having a parent abandon you is one of the most complicated things that can happen to a person. It helps shape your identity," Lisa said, her tone calm and reassuring. "It can leave you with a lot of distrust issues, fear of abandonment…" _

"_Then shouldn't I be the opposite? Cling even harder to my kids?" _

"_Sometimes that is how it works, that's true," Lisa replied. "But sometimes it can manifest itself in other ways, sneaking up on you when you least expect it."_

"_Well, I'm not…I can't be like him," she quietly answered. She wanted to tell Lisa that she was wrong; that she was nothing like her father. She couldn't be – she hated him. But words wouldn't come, they were lodged in her throat by the huge lump aching and throbbing inside of her. So as tears welled in her eyes she lowered her head and began to cry softly. She wiped her cheeks and took a deep breath, trying to get her bearings. "This is so stupid. I thought I was done with him." _

"_Sam, I know you love your family but I really think we should consider that maybe your fears are connected to him," Lisa said quietly. "Maybe it's time to start talking about your father…"_

XXX

After that session she felt like a huge weight she didn't know she had been carrying was lifted from her. She left Lisa's office and walked straight up to see Martin. She sat with him on his office sofa and told him all about her session. Despite herself she started crying again and Martin pulled her close, just holding her while she wept. Mourning a father she wasn't even sure was alive or dead.

After that, much like Danny said, Martin was much happier that she was just talking to him at all that soon he was much less tense around her and in turn, she was much less tense around him. It was starting to feel like how it was their first few years of marriage.

"Daddy did what?" Grace asked, her big blue eyes going wide with surprise. Sam saw Martin look over at her, a flicker of fear across his face that his older sister was telling his daughter tall tales of his mischievous youth. Grace, still talking on the phone said, "He broke your Easy-Bake oven? That's awful."

Sam laughed and looked at her husband asking, "You broke your sisters Easy-Bake oven? How did you do that?"

"I didn't mean to," he replied with a chagrined grin. "I accidentally dropped it from the tree."

She released a soft chuckle as she asked, "Why were you taking it up in a tree?"

"I wanted to put it in my tree house," he said with a voice tinged with remorse. She laughed and he gave her an annoyed look. "Hey, it let you bake those tiny little delicious cakes and cookies with just a light bulb."

"But why did you have to take it?"

"Because Parker was mean and she wouldn't make the cakes for me whenever I wanted some and she wouldn't let me play with it either. And there was no way in hell I could ask my parents to buy me one. Really, I had no choice but to steal it. I just didn't think the damn thing would be so hard to carry up a rope ladder…" he said regretfully. "To make matters worse, as punishment my parents said she could take one of my toys. I'll never forget her smug face as she rode up and down the street on my Big Wheel." He got a wistful look on his face and his voice cracked with emotion as he said, "I really loved that Big Wheel. It had a blue seat, bright red frame, and these awesome handle bars with plastic red, white and blue tassels…It still hurts to think about it."

Sam laughed and pulled him to her, kissing him on the cheek. "You are too much."

He laughed.

"Okay, bye," Grace said as she handed the telephone back to Martin. As soon as he took it she broke into a sprint towards the hallway.

"Slow down, where are you in a hurry to get to?" Sam shouted.

"I have to go hide my toys!" Grace yelled over her shoulder before disappearing down the hall. "Aunt Parker said you have to be careful when you have little brothers!"

Martin had a scowl on his face as he picked up the phone and in the most brotherly tone said, "Parker, you are such a tattletale!"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

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"Watch it, Mike," Danny cautioned as the boy walked sleepily towards the car, narrowly missing hitting the rearview mirror of the large truck parked next to them. Mike replied with a slight nod of his head as he slowly shuffled to the passenger door. Danny shifted a sleeping Diego in his arms and reached into his pocket to hand Emma the car keys.

The brake lights on the car flashed as Emma clicked off the alarm, unlocking the doors. She opened the passenger door to the backseat and stepped back so that he could place Diego inside. His son felt light and boney in his arms. In the two weeks since he had been diagnosed he had dropped almost ten pounds. He knew it was because the oncologist had decided that the best course of action was an intense regime of chemotherapy and the unfortunate side effect was that it made Diego constantly nauseated and he could barely keep anything down. Thankfully there was only one more week remaining before they could determine if the chemotherapy was working. Once Diego was settled, he glanced at Mike who was fumbling with his seatbelt, too exhausted to focus on the task. He reached over and clicked if for him. Mike's eyes drooped before he closed his eyes and slumped against the seat.

Once both boys were secure he moved back and Emma shut the door. She tilted her neck side to side and said, "Do you want to drive or should I?"

"I got it," he replied, giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze before turning and walking to the driver's side. As he pulled out of the hospital's parking garage he clicked on his blinker to turn left when a thought occurred to him. He turned to Emma and said, "It's almost nine, Eli is probably already asleep. Why don't I call Martin and tell him we'll just pick him up in the morning?"

She shook her head. "No, I want all the boys at home with us."

He knew that since Diego had been diagnosed she had an almost desperate need to keep all the boys with her as much as possible but he also knew that at this hour they would only wake him up just to put him back to bed. "Em, he's already asleep and Mike and Diego are exhausted," he said as he reached over to hold her hand. "Come on, let's just go home and get Eli in the morning. Please."

He could see her warring with the thought of having Eli stay over yet another night away from them but she finally nodded her head and said, "Okay, you're right." She reached into her purse and pulled out her cell phone saying, "But you drive and I'll call." He clicked his blinker to turn right and then pulled into traffic. "Hi, Sam, it's Emma. How's Eli? Yeah, that's why I'm calling, would it be okay to have him stay the night. Thanks. They're wiped out…"

He slumped into the driver's seat, idly listening to Emma and Sam's conversation as he drove along. Emma was giving Sam the cursory overview of the latest round of tests but he couldn't help but noticed she was giving the sugar coated version. He glanced in his rearview mirror to see both boys slumped over, their heads almost touching as their frames remained propped up by the seatbelt straps. He could not believe how brave they were today, being poked and prodded by doctors all day long but still managing to not complain. While a part of him was thankful that they were taking it all in stride another part of him was beginning to miss his mischievous boys, worried that it was their fear that was making them so well behaved.

XXX

"_Okay, how's that feel?" Phoebe, the technician, asked as she delicately placed a piece of gauze over Diego's arm where the needle was inserted, pumping the chemicals into his little body. _

_Diego gave her a small smiled and said, "Its fine." _

_Danny smiled at his boy who despite it all still managed to look cheery and brave. He scooted his chair closer to the large recliner where Diego was sitting. He reached over and brushed a wisp of hair out of his face and asked, "You sure? Because if you're not, now's the time to say something." _

"_I'm fine, dad," Diego repeated, his little hand rearranging the comic books on his lap. _

"_Okay then," Phoebe said as she propped open a small cooler filled with popsicles. They encouraged the patients to snack on the frozen treats so as to both combat mouth sores and nausea but also provide fluids to their weakened bodies. "Alright now, what would you like today: cherry, grape, lime or orange?" _

_The little boy craned his neck to look inside, contemplating his choice when he finally said, "Um, I want grape." _

"_How about you, Mr. Taylor?" she asked as she handed one to Diego. _

"_I'll take a cherry," Danny replied, accepting the proffered treat. _

_He un-wrapped the frozen treat and tossed the wrapper into the nearby waste basket. Diego smiled and tried to toss his but it hit the rim and fell to the floor. _

_Danny walked over, picked it up and tossed it inside and said, "Solid effort." He sat back down, sucking on the frozen treat. _

"_I can't wait to be done with this," Diego said between licks. "I want to go back to school again."_

"_You miss school?" he asked, checking the boy's forehead and said, "Uh-oh, now I am really worried."_

_Diego jerked his head out form under Danny's hand and said, "I just miss hanging out with my friends and doing normal stuff." He bit into his popsicle, shrugged and said, "I already missed the field trip to the Museum of Natural History."_

_He nodded his head solemnly at his son, all too aware of how much his son's childhood was going to be shaped by his illness; things that most kids would take for granted seemed entirely too precious to Diego. He propped his elbows on his knees and looked at Diego and said, "Tell you what: how about when you are feeling better I take you and bunch of your friends to the museum myself?"_

"_Okay, that would be cool," he replied. He took a few more solid licks before sticking out his tongue and asking, "Is it purple yet?"_

_Danny inspected it and shook his head. "Not yet but it's getting there. How about mine?" he asked, sticking out his own tongue._

"_Nope, it's just light pink," Diego replied. This was how they often passed the time, sucking on popsicles and comparing the colors it turned their tongues. Diego leaned back and looked around at the room he had come to know very well. Then out of the blue he asked, "Do you remember the time when Mike and me made you think we got the black plague? You got so mad at us."_

"_Yeah, I remember," Danny jokingly grumbled. Last year Emma had told the boys about a patient who had come in worried that he was sick because his tongue was black but she explained that if you eat Pepto-Bismal tablets before going to bed it would make the top of your tongue turn black by morning. This of course was marvelous news to a pair of trouble makers so they decided to play their joke was while Emma was in Massachusetts visiting her ailing aunt. It was the perfect time to have as much fun as they could with dad. "You guys thought you were so funny."_

"_It was funny," he giggled. "It's just too bad that you called mom right away and she told you about it." Danny laughed and both of them returned their attention to their popsicles. Diego chomped off another piece and asked, "So when are Mike and mom coming back?"_

"_I don't know, I told your mom I would call her when we were done here." _

"_I still don't know why Mike has to do so many tests when he isn't even sick."_

_Danny paused and leaned in close to his boy. "Well, remember how we talked about if the chemotherapy doesn't work that you might have to do a bone marrow transplant?" _

"_Yeah," Diego softly replied, "You said that I might have to get it from Mike."_

"_That's right," he replied as he looked into his son's eyes. "So they just have to make sure he is a match."_

"_Dad, we're identical twins, of course we match."_

_He smiled at his son's unquestioning blind faith. "I know, mijo, but we have to be sure." His son nodded his head and took another big bite of his popsicle, finishing it off. Danny stood up and reached over to open the cooler, asking, "What flavor do you want now?"_

"_I'll take orange," Diego answered. Danny tore off the popsicle wrapper and handed it to his son. The boy accepted it and said, "I guess I'm lucky to have a twin brother, huh?"_

_He smiled and replied, "Yes, you are."_

_Diego studied his popsicle but made no move to start licking it, saying instead, "But uncle Rafi would do it for you too right?"_

_He sat back down and quietly said, "Yeah, I'm pretty sure he would."_

"_It's good to have brothers," Diego said as he slowly started licking his popsicle. "Is that why Uncle Martin always calls you 'brother' because he doesn't have any of his own but he wishes he did?"_

_Danny smiled, never having considered it before. "I hadn't thought of that but, yeah, maybe that's why."_

"_That's good, too," the young boy said._

_His breath caught at how wizened his young boy seemed and he softly replied, "Yeah, it is." _

XXX

Emma clicked off the phone and stared out the windshield and said, "They told us to come by whenever since tomorrow is Saturday."

"Oh yeah," Danny replied, having forgotten since he had been taking so much time off the days were blurring together. "Good, maybe we can sleep in."

"I don't know about that," she replied as he rubbed her temple. "He usually gets sick hours after the treatment is over. We'll be lucky to get any sleep at all tonight."

He didn't reply, just nodded his head knowing she was right. That was the thing about this course of treatment. When they were in the hospital eating popsicles they were fine, it was once the drugs had run through his entire body that he became ill. He would be vomiting and complain of an ache that they could never seem to soothe. Ironically, being at the hospital and getting the treatment was the easy part, it was at home that the real weight of what their son was enduring would kick in.

They rode in silence, each one lost in what the night held for them ahead when Emma cleared her throat and said, "I think we should rethink having my parents come and stay with us in the city." He didn't reply but just glanced at her, the look expressing his feelings on the subject: hell no. But she didn't back down, she said, "This is so hard, Danny. We're both tired and we're no good if neither one of us ever gets any sleep. My dad's a doctor, he can help with Diego. We can't keep pawning Eli off on Martin and Sam or Sylvia and Rafi. At least if my parents were here they could stay at home with Eli. It will help give us a little more stability." She ran her hand down his arm to touch his hand that was on the steering wheel. "I know it'll be hard but I really think it's the best option right now."

He didn't like the idea of his father-in-law staying in their house with them indefinitely but he also knew that this was the time for all of them to come together. Taking care of his family was the number one priority and if it meant swallowing his pride for a little while it would be a small price to pay. He pulled his hand off the wheel so he could intertwine his fingers with hers and replied, "Okay."

"I'll call my mom in the morning," she said as she squeezed his hand and smiled. "Thank you, Danny."

He pulled their gripped hands to his lips and kissed her fingers. "You know I would do anything for my family."

"I know, that's why I feel in love with you and why I married you," she replied.

"And here I thought it was because I was so sexy," he joked.

She laughed and replied, "Well, of course, there's that too."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

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"Okay, final question: what do you think about the university spending nine hundred thousand dollars to buy out the Athletics Director's contract in the same week that they announced a fifteen percent tuition increase?"

"I thought this was a simple interview about the new changes in the Criminology degree?" Viv asked as she reached over and picked up her cup of coffee. The only reason she agreed to the interview was because Kate was Jack's daughter. If it had been any other eager budding journalist working a campus paper she would have replied with a firm, 'no comment,' but she wanted to help out the woman she had seen grow up.

"It is but this is an important question that affects everyone here on campus," Kate explained as she clicked her pen anxiously. "So as a faculty member what do you think…?"

Viv laughed and shook her head. "Kate Malone, there is no way in hell you are going to get me to answer such a loaded question and let you publish it in the university paper."

"Come on, Viv!" she pleaded, her brown eyes going wide and her cool exterior as a seasoned journalist fading away. "It's an important question and I can't get a single professor on campus to comment on the record what complete bullshit it is that the students are getting milked dry, being forced to take out astronomically high student loans to pay for school while the new president fires someone and has to pay close to a million dollars to…"

"Calm down," Viv interrupted upon seeing the young woman's face grow bright red with indignation. "You're going to have aneurysm."

The young woman huffed and said, "Sorry, it's just that this is an important story and no one wants to talk about it."

Viv sighed in sympathy and said, "I know this is a big story but I also know the nature of campus politics. I'm up for my tenure review and there is no way I can comment on this without it affecting my job…"

"That's exactly why it is so important! Doesn't it bother you that they are paying someone so much money to go away just because the new president of the university came in and started making all sorts of dramatic changes? There is the tuition increase, the firing of senior staff so he could hire who he wanted…" Kate interrupted; her voice fiery and passionate.

"Hang on, miss thang," Viv said, sitting up straighter in her chair and meeting Kate's eyes. "While _I_ can't comment on the record how about I arrange for you to interview Marcus? He's tenured so he gets to rant and rave all he wants."

She smiled and asked, "Really? Do you think he would?"

"I'm positive. I know for a fact he has a lot of opinions on the new president," she replied. "Why don't you come over for dinner Thursday?"

"That would be great. Thank you so much," Kate agreed with a big smile. She closed her notebook and started putting her stuff back into her leather bag when there was a knock on the door.

"Come in," Viv said loudly. The door opened and Reggie appeared.

"Oh, sorry, am I interrupting?" he asked, glancing at Kate who was body was bent forward, her long hair covering her face.

"Not at all, you know Kate," Viv said, motioning to over to where the young woman was sitting.

The young woman finally looked up and said, "Hey Reggie. You're fine. I was just interviewing your mom for the paper."

"Really?" he asked, puzzled. He was wearing his now ubiquitous architect outfit: a blazer over a button up shirt but no tie, jeans and leather shoes. He looked at Viv and said, "I thought you said you would never, ever do an interview after that fiasco last time."

"Fiasco?" Kate asked curiously.

Viv waved her off and said, "I was grossly misquoted. I said that a bachelor's degree wasn't worth as much as it was twenty years ago. That today's students should really consider pursuing a master's. However, the editor of the paper just wrote, 'Professor Johnson declares a bachelor's degree is worthless.' Needless to say, that did not go over very well with my colleagues."

"Ouch," Kate grimaced. "Did they print a retraction?"

"Yes, on page nine and it was under an advertisement for plasma donation." She shook her head and said, "But never mind that, I know that I can trust you, Kate." She smiled broadly and stood up to hug her son. "So, to what do I owe this surprise?"

"Hey, mom," he said as he walked in and met her halfway for a hug. When he pulled back he said, "I was doing a consult for a renovation down the street so I thought I'd stop by and see if you wanted to grab some lunch."

"Oh, normally I would love to but I have a Departmental meeting," she replied as she sat back down on her chair. "I get to sit with faculty over cold sandwiches and lukewarm iced tea."

"Well, I tried," he said before looking over at Kate who had her bag slung over her shoulder. "What about you? Want to go grab a bite?"

"Sure, why not?" Kate replied. She stood up and walked to the door saying, "Thanks again, Viv."

"No problem, I'll see you on Thursday." She looked over at Reggie and added, "You are welcome to come over for dinner as well."

He smiled and leaned forward to quickly kiss her on the cheek. "You know I can never say no to a home-cooked meal."

She cocked an eyebrow and replied, "Who said anything about home cooked? I was just going to order take-out."

Kate and Reggie just laughed as they exited her office, waving goodbye. She could hear them chatting as they moved down the hall. She shook her head and leaned back in her chair, looking out the window to the cityscape outside. It was still hard for her to believe that her little boy was now a grown man and Jack's youngest daughter was a senior in college. It felt just like yesterday that they were two argumentative teenagers who constantly challenged their parents.

XXX

"_Take that!" Reggie shouted as he frantically pressed the buttons on the game controller. He was sitting on the sofa in the living room playing video games with Hannah and Kate while the adults were enjoying some post dinner coffee and dessert in the dining room. "You best watch it, little girl, cuz Reggie Johnson is kicking your as…"_

"_Watch your mouth!" Viv shouted from where she sat. Jack, Elaine and Marcus just ignored her and continued on, commenting on the 'Death by Chocolate' cake. _

"_Sorry!" Reggie shouted back as the girls just rolled their eyes at one another and laughed at him. _

"_Honestly, that boy has such a mouth on him sometimes," Viv complained as she picked up her cup and took a drink. _

"_It's not just the boys," Jack lamented as he scratched the back of his head. He looked over his shoulder to see if the kids were listening and satisfied that they could care less what they grown-ups were doing he said, "Last week Hannah called Kate a 'bitch' when they were fighting over the bathroom mirror." _

"_What did you do?" she asked as she reached over with her fork and stole a piece of Marcus' chocolate cake. He gave her a dirty look but didn't try and stop her. _

"_The usual: told them to stop fighting like sorority girls, made her apologize and then walked away only to have them start up again," Jack answered as he finished off his cup of coffee. "What else can I do? It's not like I can spank them." _

"_I know what you mean but there are days when I wish I still could," Marcus said as he took a big bite of his cake. "It seems like Reggie is just out to push those limits further and further and I just want to put him over my knee." _

_Viv laughed and said, "Problem is that he is not only too big to do that but Marcus' knees are so bad that he would probably end up punishing himself more than Reggie."_

_Elaine laughed and said, "I keep telling Jack that I have been there before and it will pass. It will just feel like a really long time before you actually like your kids as human beings again." She reached over and rubbed Jack's arm saying, "My son was such a…I don't even know how to describe him: a moody, self-righteous, know it all mutant?" They laughed and she finished, "I found him almost impossible to be around during his high school years and some of college but then, I don't know, one day suddenly he was this man that was pleasant to be around who was able to carry on an actual conversation. It was pretty remarkable." _

_Viv shook her head and looked over to where the kids were sitting. Reggie was lounging on the sofa as if he didn't have a care in the world, Hannah stared at the game on the television with an look of intense concentration on her face, and Kate sat on the end of the sofa watching them with a bored expression. Hannah must have been doing well because Reggie started arguing about how she must be cheating. She sighed, looked at Elaine and said, "I can't wait." _


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

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"You're telling me you can't spare a single agent?" Jack asked the representative from Human Resources. He had been sitting at his desk most of the morning playing phone tag with the woman who seemed to relish having control over agent placement. "I'll take anyone at this point, send me the greenest rookie you have – I just need some bodies here."

"Agent Malone," the woman on the other end of the line replied with an evident sneer in her squeaky voice. "I've already told you, there just aren't very many agents to go around at this point. As for having someone temporarily assist while agent Taylor takes some time for family sick leave and agent Turner recuperates from his shoulder surgery I believe Olcyzk has already informed you that you will just have to coordinate some sort of arrangement with Agent Fitzgerald's team."

"Yes, but even with his teams help we are still running two cases at the same time and it is starting to wear us down," he argued, clenching and unclenching his fist. "There must be new agents graduating soon. How about letting me have one of them?"

"Hold on, please, while I look into it," she chirped before placing him on hold.

As he sat there listening to the soft rock music playing he began strumming his fingers on the desk. Each time his fingers hit the wood it made a loud audible thump. He wasn't sure why exactly but he really didn't like having to defer to Martin. He was pretty sure that it had a lot to do with the fact that he used to be his superior and now they were relatively equals. He was more accustomed to Martin asking for his help or advice, not the other way around. Or maybe it just reminded him that he wasn't as young as he used to be and that retirement was no longer a distant option but a very real possibility.

The line went quiet and then he heard the HR woman say, "The next class is due to graduate in a three weeks and I'll see about sending one of the new agents to fill your empty position but I can't guarantee anything. There are lots of divisions that are in need."

"Yeah, I know but please don't forget that we are strained for man power so the sooner you can get me a new agent the better," he replied as he tapped his fingers on his desk. "And remember, if you don't get me a new agent then I will just keep calling you every day."

"In that case, I'll make certain that you get one of the new agents as soon as possible. Have a good day, Agent Malone," she replied before promptly hanging up.

"Yeah, right back at you," he growled at the dead air before hanging up.

"Didn't anyone ever tell you that you catch more flies with honey than vinegar?"

He looked up and saw Sam smiling at him in the doorway. He narrowed his eyes at her as he slumped back in his chair asking, "Who in the hell would want to catch flies?"

"I don't know, maybe someone who needed them to feed a frog?" she speculated.

He laughed and asked, "What's up? I'm assuming you're not just here to offer me etiquette lessons."

"We got a call about a possible case," she replied walking into his office and taking a seat opposite him. She handed him some faxed sheets from NYPD and said, "Monica DuBois, thirty-nine. She is a stand-in for Kelly Grant the movie star."

"I've never heard of her," Jack replied as he took the faxed sheets from Sam.

"Not a big surprise," she quipped with a sly grin. "Anyway, Monica was house-sitting for Kelly but when Kelly returned she said that her pets looked like they hadn't been fed and there is no sign of Monica."

"Any chance that the stand-in might have looted it and skipped town?" he asked as he skimmed the preliminary report.

"Kelly insists that isn't the case," Sam replied with a tilt of the head. "According to NYPD she is really concerned about Monica."

"Alright," he replied, standing up and picking up his jacket from the back of his chair. "Let's get going and talk to Ginger."

"Ginger?" she asked as she stood up to follow him out.

"You know, the movie star," he smiled and in his best sing song voice he sang, "'the Millionaire, and his Wife, the Movie Star, the Professor and Mary Ann, here on Gilligan's Isle.'"

Sam stopped, rolled her eyes and shaking her head replied, "If you have to stretch your memory all the way back to 'Gilligan's Island' for a pop culture reference it's no wonder you don't know who Kelly Grant is."

He pretended to be offended and said, "Hey, I used to love that show."

She just walked out of his office ahead of him, still laughing.

When they were in the hall walking to the elevator she asked, "Do you want to call Martin and give him a heads up to let him know we might need someone from his team to help out?"

"Let's just wait until after we talk to Ms. Grant," he replied, pressing the call button for the elevator. "I'd rather get a feel for what's going on beforehand."

"If I didn't know better I'd think you don't like having to ask Martin for help," Sam said softly as they boarded the elevator.

He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and curtly replied, "I have no idea what you mean."

"My apologies, I must have you confused with my kids," she replied with a glint in her eye. "They are the ones who don't like having to share."

He knew better than to try and argue with her.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

XXXXXXX

Forty-five minutes later Sam and Jack emerged from a different elevator that opened up directly into a posh penthouse apartment on the Upper East Side. The foyer was littered with several uniformed officers lingering around so she and Jack had to make their way past them to get to the living area. As they walked, Sam gave a cursory look around and knew that every detail in the home from the vases to the throw pillows was selected by some highly paid interior decorator. The apartment was so beautiful and expensive that it looked like it could be on the cover of _Architectural Digest_. Hell, it may have been – Kelly Grant was one of the highest paid actresses working today.

Sam stopped walking when she spotted a uniformed officer approach. "You must be from the FBI," he extended his hand to Jack first and said, "I'm Lt. Silverman."

Jack shook his hand and said, "Agents Malone and Spade." He glanced around and asked, "There sure are a lot of men in blue for a missing person case."

"Yeah, whenever there is a celebrity involved it's hard to keep them away," he agreed before jutted his chin to the large photograph on the wall, "Particularly, when it comes to a case involving a beautiful, famous actress."

Jack just nodded before asking, "So what do you have for us?"

"There isn't any sign of a forced entry or signs of a struggle. We talked to the doorman downstairs and he said the last time he saw Monica was when she went out for a morning run two days ago."

"Did the doorman know where she runs?"

"Central Park but that's it," the officer replied with a non-committal shrug. "He has no idea which part."

Jack gave a tight smile and said, "Thanks," dismissing the officer.

As the officer walked away, Sam looked at the photo of Kelly that must have been taken back when she was in her twenties. She recognized the photo since it had been on the cover of _Rolling Stone_ shortly after the actress had her first major box office film success. Her long red hair was pinned up into curls and she was nude, covered up by a white silk sheet.

"I hate that photo," a woman's voice announced. Sam turned around to find the now older but still just as breathtaking woman approach wearing a gray wool sweater and faded blue jeans. She looked as gorgeous in real life as she did in the movies. She smiled at them and said, "I think it makes me seem so pretentious to hang up a giant photo of myself in my own apartment."

"Why'd you hang it up then?" Sam asked, surprised at how nervous she suddenly felt at being in the presence of a genuine celebrity whose last movie she watched on television just a few nights before.

"My agent, manager, and interior decorator talked me into it," she came to stand next to Sam and looked at the photo as if analyzing it. "They insisted that one day when I am old and gray I will appreciate the reminder on how I used to look."

"I take it you don't?" Jack asked as he folded his arms across his chest.

"Not really. That photo was so airbrushed that it barely looked like me when I was that age and now it just makes me feel old," she replied with a self-deprecating smile. Her smile fell and she asked, "You must be the agents here to help find Monica."

"That's us." Jack made the introductions before he pulled out his notepad and said, "According the report you said that Monica was house-sitting for you, is that correct?"

"Yes," Kelly replied with a slight nod, still looking visible shaken up. "She always watches my place when I go out of town."

"And where did you go?" he asked as he jotted down the information.

"To my cabin out in the Catskills," she answered. "I go there whenever I finish a film to just relax and decompress. It's my haven, my sanctuary."

Sam moved a step closer and trying to remain professional and not as star stuck as she felt asked, "When was the last time you spoke to Monica?"

Kelly wrapped her arms closer to her and replied, "That would be the day I left…"

XXX

_Kelly dropped her backpack by the elevator and turned to Monica saying, "Okay, I think that's all of it."_

_Monica walked up behind her and watched Kelly double checking her bags. The two women looked like they could have been sisters they looked so much alike. Monica was a few years younger than Kelly but she had a very similar face and hair. She tucked her hands into the back pockets of her jeans and asked, "Did you remember to pack your sunscreen?" _

"_Yes, I remembered this time," she replied with a grin. "Okay, so I gave you the new password for the alarm, all of the important phone numbers are taped to the refrigerator…"_

"_You know, this isn't my first time watching your place," Monica teased. "Don't worry: I'll feed the cats and fish, I'll water the plants and get the mail. Just go and have fun." _

_She laughed and said, "I know, I'm sorry. I'm just such a control freak sometimes."_

"_That's why you need to get away to someplace with no phones, fax machines, wireless anything." Monica pressed the button for the elevator. "Just go hike, swim and relax. You deserve it." _

"_Thanks," she replied. The elevator doors opened up and the two women tossed Kelly's bags inside. Once everything was loaded, Kelly hugged Monica goodbye, saying, "Thanks again. And I know I tell you this every time but really, please, feel free to use anything and everything." She winked and added, "You even have my permission to have a boy come over and stay the night."_

_Monica laughed and said, "The only boy that I'll be spending the week with is your cat, Pete. I'm never dating again."_

_Kelly stepped back into the elevator and said, "Glad to see you've moved on from being depressed to being angry. When you hit acceptance let me know." _

_As the doors close Monica grinned and said, "I told you. I am finished with men!"_

"_Whatever you say!" Kelly shouted back as the doors closed and the elevator went down. _

XXX

"…And when I got back she wasn't here and judging by how hungry my cats were she hadn't been for at least a couple of days," Kelly finished, glancing around worriedly. "I tried calling her but when she wouldn't answer I called her roommate who said she hadn't spoken to her all week."

"You mentioned that Monica said she was never dating again. Did she recently break-up with someone?" Sam asked gently.

"Yeah," Kelly replied in a voice tinged with bitterness. "His name is Bruce Howard. He played a cop in my last film."

"Why did they break up?"

"She found out he was cheating on her with just about every other female on the set," she replied disgustedly. "He's a total narcissistic asshole, pardon my French."

"No problem," Jack replied with a restrained grin before asking, "Was there anything missing? Jewelry, art work, anything?"

"Nothing that I've noticed so far," she replied with a shrug as she scanned her apartment. "The police told me to keep looking. That something might be missing that I wouldn't normally notice."

Jack nodded his head before asking, "How long have you known Monica?"

"Years," Kelly breathed out. "She was the stand-in for the first film where I had a leading role. We've been working together ever since."

"Do you normally have someone you work with watch your house?" he asked.

"Monica isn't just my stand-in, she's my friend. When I'm not working she doesn't work so I hire her to watch my place, help out, stuff like that," she replied. She tilted her head to the side and finished, "I guess it makes me feel less guilty for taking so much time off between jobs."

"Any chance that Monica may have wanted more than to just be your stand-in and personal assistant and she just decided to take off, leave you hanging?" he pressed with his small eyes boring into her.

"First of all, she was the one who volunteered to be my house-sitter because it gives her a chance to get away from her roommate for awhile," Kelly replied defensively. "Second of all, Monica isn't an actress. This isn't just a stepping stone career for her. She was waiting tables before she stumbled across this job. She was happy to find work that was flexible, paid relatively well, and requires no real skill other than looking like me. I assure you, this isn't an 'All About Eve' situation."

"Do I detect a sore spot?" Jack pressed.

Kelly sighed heavily and in an exasperated tone said, "I'm sorry, it's just that the police have already gone through this with me earlier and I just want them to focus on finding Monica and not trying to find an angle where there isn't one."

"That's what we are going to do," Sam replied reassuringly. "We just have to make sure that we don't overlook anything."

"I know," she said with a worried nod. "I'm just worried, that's all."

Sam shared a look with Jack that the interview was over for now. She smiled at Kelly and said, "I think we have enough information for now. We'll be in touch," she pulled a business card from her pocket and handed it to her, "but if you remember anything else or think of something please give me a call."

"Thanks," Kelly took the card and glanced at it. "Oh, I have a weird question."

"What's that?" Sam asked as she and Jack moved back to the elevator.

"Um, you guys work as a team right?" She smiled and clarified, "I mean, there are other agents involved in this investigation aren't there?"

Sam furrowed her brow, not knowing where the woman could be going with this line of questioning. "Yes, we do."

"This might seem silly, I mean it has been over fifteen years but I used to have a friend who worked in the Missing Persons Unit and I was wondering if you know him," she asked, her voice tinged with hopefulness. "His name is Martin Fitzgerald."

"Uh…wha…?" Sam stammered out slowly. Her mind was literally racing so fast at hearing Kelly Grant, a major movie star who in her last film had a racy sex scene with Colin Ferrell asking her if she knew Martin – her husband that seemed incapable of remembering to put down the toilet seat – that she couldn't process it fast enough.

Thankfully Jack was there and he replied, "Yes, we know Martin and he will be involved in the investigation peripherally." He bit his upper lip trying to restrain a laugh before placing his hand on Sam's back saying, "In fact, Agent Spade here is his wife."

Kelly's eyes darted to Sam and she grinned broadly saying, "Really? That's wonderful, congratulations."

Sam managed a smile and replied, "Thanks."

"So how do you know Martin?" Jack asked, not even bothering to disguise the devilish grin on his face.

Kelly glanced at Sam before looking back at Jack with a shy smile when she cautiously replied, "We dated for a little while a long time ago."

Sam's smile went even tighter at this little nugget of information. "Great. Well, we better get going."

Kelly escorted them to the elevator and said, "It was nice meeting both of you. I hope you find Monica very soon." As soon as they both boarded the elevator she gave Sam a friendly but hesitant smile and said, "Please give Martin my best."

Sam's mind had slowed down enough to hone in on the thought that in all the years she had known him that he had never even thought to mention that he used to date a movie star. So with a smile so tight that it made her cheeks ache she said, "Oh, you can count on me to give it to him."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

XXXXXXX

"I thought your wife didn't let you eat those anymore?" Dustin asked as he walked into Martin's office.

"She's not the boss of me," he replied as he lifted up the foot long hot dog to his lips. It was covered in sauerkraut, mustard, onions, and relish. Sam had banned him from eating them if he planned on sharing the same bed again since they always gave him serious gas issues but when he was returning from an interview he walked pass the hot dog stand they looked too delicious to resist. So he decided to just risk it and deal with the consequences later. Or rather, let Sam deal with the consequences.

"Sure she isn't," Dustin said as he dropped his report on the desk. He sat down on the chair and said, "You could have at least brought me one."

"Next time," Martin replied mid-chew, savoring the forbidden delicacy. He was poised to take another bite when a not-very happy looking blonde appeared in his doorway.

"What in the hell are you doing?" Sam asked, staring at his lunch.

"Um, I, uh," he mumbled, his eyes moving back and forth between her and the hotdog. She folded her arms across her chest and cocked an eyebrow waiting for a reply. He sighed, defeated. "What do you have radar or something?"

"Yes," she promptly replied.

Dustin grinned broadly, stood up and under his breath so only Martin could hear he said, "Not the boss, huh?" He walked to the door and as he passed Sam he said, "Nice to see you again, Sam."

"See you later, Dustin," she replied before marching into the office and plopping herself down on the now vacated chair. "I thought we agree no more of those toxic dogs."

He dropped the hot dog on the paper wrapper and grabbed a napkin. "No, you said no more hot dogs. I never actually agreed."

"You didn't exactly put up a fight either," she retorted.

"I didn't see any point in arguing. Besides, I thought what you don't know…"

"Believe me, you eat that and I will know about it. The air in the bedroom becomes suffocating."

"Fine, you win," he replied as he rolled up the hot dog in the wrapper and pushed it away from him. "So did you come here for any other reason than to criticize my food choices?"

"As a matter-of-fact I came to ask you about another little secret you have," she stared at him and stoically asked, "Why didn't you ever mention that you used to date Kelly Grant?"

"Uh, what…?" he mumbled out.

"Yeah," Sam said with her eyebrows waggling. "That's pretty much how I felt when Kelly asked me if you still worked in missing persons." She gave him a bright, fake smile and added, "She says, 'hi' by the way."

He swallowed and said, "How did you…when did you talk to Kelly?"

"Her stand-in, Monica DuBois, is missing. Jack and I went to interview her," she explained. "How could you not mention that you used to date her?"

"I did tell you but you didn't believe me," he scoffed.

"You never told me, I would have remembered you telling me that you used to date a movie star," she said as she reached over and grabbed a few of his potato chips. "Just when did you tell me?"

"A few years ago when we went to the movies to go see her film, 'Blue Flame,'" he replied, pulling his chip bag closer. Since she made him toss his lunch before accusing him of hiding something from her he wasn't feel particularly generous. "And as I recall, you completely dismissed me..."

XXX

_Martin put his hand on the small of Sam's back to gently move her along in the line. It was their first night leaving Grace with Danny and Emma so they could enjoy a night out without the baby. He was really excited to have this rare time alone with his wife again but to say she was a tad bit distracted was an understatement. _

"_Did I remember to pack her favorite pacifier?" Sam asked anxiously, her eyes looking all around but not really focusing on anything. _

"_Yes, you did," he replied, gently rubbing her back reassuringly. _

"_Are you sure because I don't remember doing it?" _

"_Yes. I saw it in the side pocket of the diaper bag," he said as he looked over to read a nearby movie poster. He sighed and looked over at the poster again. It featured Kelly Grant in a tight blue dress standing in the center of a large fire. It was supposed to be a murder mystery film but the poster was all about sex. He tilted his head as he studied the poster and said, "Did I ever tell you that I used to date her?" _

"_Who?" she asked with a blank expression; she was obviously still wondering if she really did pack Grace's pacifier. _

"_Kelly Grant," he replied, motioning that the line was moving. _

"_What about Kelly Grant?" She moved up in line and he was about to reply when she suddenly stopped short, spun around and asked, "What about her bunny? Did you pack it? You know she can't sleep without it."_

"_Did you even hear what I said?" he asked, annoyed that she was preoccupied and not even trying to enjoy their date. "I just told you that I used to date Kelly Grant and all you can think about is a stuffed chenille rabbit."_

"_Martin, stop joking. There is no way you would ever have dated her. She's Kelly Grant and your, well, you," she replied dismissively. "The bunny on the other hand is serious business."_

"_What do you mean I'm 'just me'? I dated her and she seemed to like 'just me' just fine," he clarified. _

"_Maybe I should call Emma just to be sure," she said as she reached into her coat pocket to get her cell phone. "I won't be able to relax otherwise."_

"_How would Emma know if I dated her?"_

"_I didn't say anything about who you dated," she replied as she flipped open her cell. "I want to ask her if we remembered to pack the bunny."_

"_Sam, Grace is fine. They have twin boys and I'm sure our tiny little girl is no problem for them," he tried to argue as she ignored him and started dialing. He shook his head and said, "I just told you that I used to date a major movie star – a very sexy major movie star – and you don't even care."_

"_Sorry, of course you dated her," she gave him a pity smile before leaning over and giving him a kiss. As she held the phone to her ear and waited for Emma or Danny to pick up she added, "And I used to date George Clooney." She paused and into the cell said, "Hey Emma, how's Grace doing?" _

_He stared at her as she talked to Emma and softly said, "I did date her." Certain that Sam wasn't listening to him he softly added, "I still could if I wanted too."_

"_Thanks Emma, sorry to be such a pain it's just my first time leaving my girl," Sam said before she clicked off the phone. "We're good. She has the bunny." _

"_I told you," he said as he stepped up and bought the tickets for the movie. The attendant handed him the paper stubs and they moved to enter the theatre. "So can you relax now?"_

"_Yes," she replied, intertwining her arm with his and putting her mouth near his ear whispering, "In fact, I'm so relaxed I may even want to forget watching the movie and just make-out in the back row. That is, unless, you will be too distracted watching your ex-girlfriend on the big screen."_

_He grinned and replied, "What ex-girlfriend?" _

XXX

"Well, no wonder I didn't remember," she said as she reached over and snatched the chips from him. "You told me on the very first night I was away from my first born. Hell, you knew my brain capacity was suffering since the birth." She chomped on a chip and added, "I still think I pushed out a portion of my brain during delivery."

He smiled and leaned back in his chair. "Well, either way I did fully disclose my previous relationship with Kelly Grant so therefore your accusations of secrecy are unfounded."

She laughed, knowing he was right. "Okay, you win this round." She slumped down in her seat and said, "So, now that I do know it is true, how did you even meet her?"

"Do you really want to know?" he asked. They didn't often talk about past relationships since they both seemed pretty determined to keep the past in the past.

"I wouldn't ask if I didn't," she replied. "But keep it clean. I'm not that evolved."

"It was when I first moved here from Seattle. She was staying at the same hotel as me and this was before she was famous so she could hang out without being recognized…"

XXX

_Martin sat at the crowded bar eating a hamburger and watching the football game on the TV. He had decided that he would forgo room service and venture out to the restaurant in the hotel lobby. He picked up his beer and took a drink when he heard a woman's voice ask if the seat next to him was taken. He turned around to find a pair of green eyes watching him and he smiled replying, "No, it's all yours."_

_She smiled in thanks before sitting down. She reached past him to grab the bowl of peanuts and asked, "What's the score?"_

"_Were in half-time and the Seahawks are up, six to zero," he replied with his eye on the screen. "Maybe this will be the game were they finally end their losing streak."_

"_You must be from out of town," she teased. "No self respecting New Yorker would be pleased to see Seattle in the lead."_

"_That obvious huh?" he replied with chagrin. "I just moved here a couple of weeks ago from Seattle so I guess I still feel a little loyal."_

"_Well, when they blow it, and they will, you will find it much easier to switch your loyalties to the Giants," she said knowingly. The television screen announced that half-time was over and the teams were back on the field. She turned to face him again and extended her hand, "I'm Kelly by the way."_

"_Martin," he said as he shook her hand. There was a thunderous applause in the crowd and they both looked up to see that the Giants had scored a touchdown, tying the score. "Looks like you might be right."_

"_Told you," she replied as she waved over the bartender and ordered a martini and a salad. Then with her eyes on the screen she asked, "So what brings you to the city?"_

"_Job transfer," he said as he took another sip of his beer. _

_She glanced at him as she cracked open a peanut. "What do you do?"_

"_I work for the FBI," he replied as he munched on a French fry. _

"_Really?" she asked, looking surprised. "You're a…what do you call it? A Special Agent?" _

"_Yup," he replied with a self-satisfied grin. _

"_That's really cool," she replied as her gaze shifted back to the TV screen as the Seahawks were fouled ten yards. _

_Not wanting to end the first pleasant non-work related conversation he had in weeks he asked her, "What do you do?"_

"_I'm an actress," she replied as she shook her head embarrassedly._

"_Really?" he asked dubiously. _

_The bartender put a salad down in front of her and as soon as he was gone she nodded, "I know, it's such a cliché in New York." _

_He watched her as she moved the large leafy lettuce around with her fork and asked, "Have you been in anything I would have seen you in?"_

_She picked up a cherry tomato with her fingers and said, "I've done a few guest spots on TV shows but I'm working on my first film right now," before popping the small red orb into her mouth. _

"_That must be exciting," he said, feeling slightly aroused by the thought of the tomato bursting open in her mouth. _

"_It is but its nerve wracking too. Today I kept forgetting lines and missing my mark. I was just so nervous that once I messed something up it just kept getting worse," she confessed. She skewered a large piece of lettuce and held the fork mid-air. "It's just that it is my first time in a lead role and I keep worrying that they'll all find out that I am horrible actress and the whole film will fail because of me." She paused and said, "That makes me sound like a totally neurotic actress doesn't it?" _

"_Not at all," he commiserated. Suddenly feeling the need to unburden himself as well he said, "Actually, I can totally relate. On my first day I was trying to impress them and ended up screwing up pretty bad. Now I am falling all over myself to try and show my team that I'm really not a bad agent."_

"_Sorry," she whispered. She reached over and took a drink of her martini saying, "I guess it's like that in every job, huh?" _

"_Guess so," he whispered back before holding his beer bottle up to her martini glass and saying, "Here's to no more screwing up."_

"_No more screw-ups," she said as their glasses clinked. There was another scattering of applause from the crowd and they both looked up to see that the Seahawks fumbled another play. She smiled and said, "Well, sorry Seattle boy but it looks like it's nothing but screw-ups for your team." _

_He smiled at her and said, "Well, I'm starting to prefer New York more and more..." _

XXX

Sam had been watching him carefully as he spoke and he couldn't tell what she was thinking so he decided to be casual as he finished, "We ended up just hanging out watching football and talking about how our jobs were going."

She nodded her head in acknowledgment, licked her lips and asked, "Why did you guys break-up?"

"We both agreed that we were just going to be casual so there wasn't a lot of investment it in," he replied. "And then once her movie wrapped she went back to Los Angeles so that was pretty much it."

Sam jutted out her bottom lip as if she was considering what he said. She folded her hands in her lap, started twiddling her fingers and said, "So basically it was just a little fling, that's it, right?"

He grinned at her and declared, "You're jealous."

She made a face and rolled her eyes. "I am not."

His smile spread further and he repeated, "Yes you are. You're jealous!"

She refused to meet his eyes and repeated, "Am not."

He stood up and walked around his desk to sit on the chair next to hers. He wrapped his hands around her clasped fist and leaned his face in close to hers and said again, "Yes, you are. It's so cute to see you get jealous of a girl I dated over fifteen years ago and even cuter considering that we're married, have two kids, a mortgage…"

"Shut up," she growled before her own lips curved up into a smile. "I can't help it. She's a movie star for god's sake! And she still looks amazing and she clearly still has fond memories of you." She sighed heavily. "And here I am, not as young as I used to be. I'm getting wrinkles around my eyes, I have stretch marks…"

"Hey, you are still a hottie with a fabulous ass," he proclaimed emphatically. "You don't even know how close I've come to losing my job from wanting to punch out some of the male agents here that I've caught checking you out."

She laughed and he kissed her. He pulled back, his face still near hers and said, "You have no business being jealous. You know I love you, forever and ever."

"I love you, too," she replied as she ran her hand over his cheek. It was quiet for a beat as they just looked at each other when she added, "But you still can't eat that hot dog."

He laughed.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

XXXXXXX

"What are you doing here today?" Sam asked, looking up from reading through a large stack of papers.

"Thanks for the warm welcome," Danny replied as he pulled out the chair opposite of her and sat down.

"Sorry," she replied with an apologetic smile. "I just thought that you wouldn't be in today since Diego had a check-up."

"He did, it was this morning," he replied flatly. And right after the doctor's did their examination saying that it looked like the chemotherapy was having some, if little, effect, Emma and her dad promptly took over the situation, talking to the doctor in medical mumbo-jumbo that left Danny feeling completely useless. He wanted to someplace where he felt some semblance of control. "Diego's having a good day so he and Mike wanted to go to school. We dropped them off and Emma and her dad went out to have lunch."

"You didn't want to go with them?"

"No," he replied curtly, ending the conversation. "So I thought I'd come in and see if you guys could use some help." He craned his neck so he could look at the pages that she was reading through and asked, "What case are you working on right now?"

Sam eyed him carefully before explaining the case from Monica's disappearance all the way to Martin's connection. "…so now I am running through both Kelly's home phone records as well as Monica's to see if I can find any connection."

"What a minute, back up," Danny interrupted. "Are you seriously telling me that Martin, Martin Fitzgerald, used to date Kelly Grant the movie star?"

She rolled her eyes as she flipped to the next page. "Yup."

"That son of bitch," he replied with a small laugh. "How could he not tell me? That's huge news, guys could brag about that one for years."

Sam stopped what she was doing and turned round to face him directly. "Hey, this is his wife you're talking to."

"Sorry," he apologized with a restrained grin. "But, damn, that is like…amazing."

"Yeah, I'm beside myself with joy that my husband hit that, thank you," she said as she began reading again. In one hand she held a yellow highlighter and began clicking it anxiously.

"Sorry, sorry," he said as he forced himself to hide another smile threatening to emerge. He cleared his throat and asked, "So what can I do?"

"Well, to start with," she reached over and grabbed a large stack of papers, handing them to him, "you can go through Monica's phone numbers. See if anything unusual pops up."

He took the sheath of papers from her and began reading. He scanned through the names and phone numbers for the last few months when he noticed a change in pattern. "Hey, you said her ex-boyfriend was named Bruce Howard, right?"

"Yes," she replied, stopping reading to look at him. "Did you find something?"

"Well, there were a lot of calls from him last month but then nothing for the last few weeks," he commented as he ran his finger down the page to mark what he had just read.

She tilted her head to the side and replied, "Makes sense, that's about when they broke up."

"Yeah, but three days ago there was a call from him that lasted two minutes." He showed her the page that logged the time and date that the call was placed.

Sam read the line and said, "Well, it could be a call to get some of his stuff back…"

"Or ask her to meet for a drink, try and get back together."

She leaned back in her chair and replied, "According to Kelly, she didn't think that would be possible."

Danny gave her a skeptical look and said, "Either way, we should go talk to the ex."

"Yes, we do," she said as she stood up. She walked over to her desk to retrieve her jacket and gun saying, "I'll go tell Jack we are heading out while you look up Bruce's address. I'll meet you at the elevator."

As soon as Sam was out of sight, Danny stood up and walked to Sam's desk. He typed in Bruce's name and located the address, jotted it down in his notepad. He held his hand to his mouth to conceal his yawn before turning and heading to the elevator. Another yawn overcame him and he slowed his pace, coming to stop at the elevator. He pressed the call button and leaned against the opposite wall to wait for Sam. He was feeling world weary and he knew that he wasn't the only one in his family. Diego's illness was taking it's toll on his entire family.

XXX

"_Mom! Dad!" Mike shouted, his voice piercing the night._

_Danny bolted upright in bed in time to see that Emma was already heading through the door. Years of working at a hospital had instilled in her an ability to sleep lightly and wake up lightening fast, ready to deal with any crisis. He chased after her, rushing down the hall to the boys' bathroom. He arrived there the same time as his father-in-law, Richard. The two men glanced awkwardly at one another before going inside. _

_Emma was kneeling next to Diego who was vomiting into the toilet while Mike stood next to him, looking scared and lost. Danny squinted against the bright lights of the bathroom and started to move closer when Richard walked around him and got there first. He suppressed his frustration that Richard was slowly taking over the lead role in the house, forcing Danny further and further into the background. He wanted to argue that he should be the one in there helping his son but he also knew that Richard's medical expertise has come in really handy so he swallowed his pride and allowed the man to help his son. _

_Richard put his hands on Mike's shoulders, moving him out of the way. "Mike, why don't you go back to bed? You're mom and I will take care of Diego."_

_The young boy stared at him and nodded but made no move to leave. As Emma tried to soothe his sickly twin, Richard checked his temperature. Danny suddenly felt incredibly helpless. Wanting to feel useful, he walked over and placed his arm around Mike's shoulders. "Come on, Mike. Let's give them some room."_

_Mike looked at him, then back at Diego, before nodding his head slowly and letting Danny usher him out the door. They entered the hallway and stood just outside the bathroom door listening to the sound of Emma and her father discussing what the best course of action to take as Diego continued making dry heaving noises in the background. _

"_He's not getting better is he?" Mike whispered, saying it more like a statement then a question. _

_Wanting to reassure his son, he replied, "It takes time, mijo. Your mom and the doctors are doing everything they can."_

_Mike leaned his back against the wall, the palm of his hands pressed up against the molding. "You keep saying that but every time he goes to the hospital and takes the drugs the sicker he gets. It's like it hurts him more, it's not right."_

_Danny suddenly felt a crushing feeling against his chest. He knew he was supposed to say something comforting to his son but at the same time he knew exactly how he felt. He hated that the treatment was so painful for his son to endure. He forced a small smile and said in his most fatherly voice, "I know the chemotherapy side effects are hard but remember what we told you boys? That sometimes you have to get sicker to get better."_

_Mike gave him a hard, skeptical look and said, "Why can't you just make them take whatever they need from me to make him better? I'm not scared to do it."_

_Danny stepped closer and ran his hand through his son's hair, "I know you're not that scared but it's not that simple."_

_Suddenly they heard Diego start vomiting again and then the sound of the running water. He pictured Richard running a warm bath for Diego while Emma helped him undress. Baths helped Diego deal with achy joints and it also somehow helped with his nausea. Emma had told him she was pretty sure that his upset stomach had more to do with tension headaches than actual side effects from the Chemo. The steamy, warm water seemed to be the only thing that helped Diego feel good – or at least, not as bad. _

_Mike looked up at him with wide, teary eyes and with a cracking voice said, "Don't let him die, Dad. I couldn't take it. It's always been him and me, forever. Ever since the day I was born, he's been there every single day."_

"_I know mijo," Danny replied, pulling his son into an embrace. Mike wrapped his small, thin arms around his waist, holding onto him tightly as he sobbed. He rubbed his son's back trying to comfort him while his own eyes welled with tears. _

XXX

"Hey," Sam announced, pulling him out of his bittersweet memory. "You okay? You looked like you were a million miles away."

"Yeah," he replied, his throat feeling as tight and achy as it did that night. "Sorry, I just…nevermind."

She pressed the call button for the elevator, it seemed that he was so lost in thought that the elevator had come and gone and he didn't even notice. She took a breath and looked at him. "Danny, I can't imagine what you and Emma are going through but we are all praying that Diego is going to okay."

He smiled at her and replied, "I know you are. Thanks." He paused and added, "But do me a favor: pray for the rest of the family to be okay, too."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

XXXXXXX

"Are we sure he's reading for the part of," Danny read the sign posted on the adjacent wall, "'Technician number 2'?"

"That's what his neighbor said," Sam replied as she pushed her way through the crowded hallway, scanning the rows of actors reading through script sides trying to locate Bruce Howard. All of the men looked a lot alike: tall, blonde, muscular, and undeniably handsome. The only thing that distinguished them was the way they read their lines: some read them with over exaggerated exuberance; some were trying for throaty and mysterious; and then there was the more common scientific sounding. She didn't realize that there could be so many different ways to say, 'I got a hit on the fingerprints.'

Danny tapped her on the shoulder and pointed to a man sitting on a bench at the far end of the hallway. "I think that is our guy."

She strode towards him with Danny directly behind her. He was reading his lines aloud and judging by his tone, he was trying for mysterious. As she neared she asked, "Bruce Howard?"

"Is it my turn?" he asked, starting to stand up.

"We're not with the show," she replied, flashing him her badge. "I'm special agent Spade and this is agent Taylor. We'd like to talk to you about Monica DuBois."

He gave them an annoyed look and sourly asked, "What about her?"

"She's missing," Sam said, sounding just as annoyed. "So how about you cut the attitude and tell us about the last time you saw her."

In the distance, a woman called out for the next actor and Bruce looked over before turning to face her again. "I don't know anything about where she is."

Danny stepped up and got in Bruce's face. "That's not what we asked. So why don't you focus and answer the question: when was the last time you saw her?"

"Alright, I know this cliché: she's good cop and you're bad cop," Bruce replied bitterly. Danny moved to grab him by the shoulders when he held up his hands and spoke up, "I saw her three nights ago."

Danny backed down and asked, "And?"

"And I just wanted to talk to her," he replied, frustrated.

XXX

_He was sitting at a table in a crowded coffee shop, his knee bopping up and down under the table as he waited for Monica to arrive. When the door chimed he looked up to see her walk inside. He couldn't help but notice that a lot of eyes turned to look at her, the café patrons whispering amongst themselves and pointing at her, gawking. Ignoring them, Monica walked up to the table and sat down. _

"_Thanks for coming," Bruce said, his tone soft and humble. She gave him a terse smile and nodded, not replying. He paused, glancing around at the room full of curious fans wondering if they spotted a genuine movie star. "Doesn't it bother you, being confused with Kelly Grant?"_

"_Not really," she replied with a shrug. "We look different enough for them to doubt if I am really her. Only a handful of people actually have the nerve to ask for an autograph." Her eyes quickly darted to a couple of teenagers who were looking at her and smiling broadly. She smiled back before looking at him, her expression switching to a frown. "So what do you want?" _

"_I just want to talk," Bruce said humbly._

"_Talk?" Monica repeated, shifting in her seat, looking uncomfortable and anxious to get it over with. "What is there to talk about? How you cheated on me? How you lied to me? Because I'm pretty much all talked out on those topics." _

"_I guess I deserve that," he replied, solemnly. He leaned in and gave her sad, puppy dog eyes and said, "You have every reason to hate me but I'm genuinely sorry, Monica. I'm so sorry that I hurt you. I know I screwed up but I know now how much I love you. I just want another chance."_

_Monica shook her head with a look of incredulity on her face. "No." _

_He tried another tactic and reached out to cover her fisted hands with his, gently caressing her clenched knuckles with his thumbs. "What can I do to convince you?" _

"_Nothing," she replied. _

_He decided to backtrack, saying, "I know I made some mistakes but I think I was just scare of how much you meant to me…"_

_She gave a derisive laugh and said, "Oh, you were scared so you decided that the best way to conquer those fears was by hiding in the beds of Maggie, Lyla, Kiki, Rachel…" _

_His façade began to crumble and he said, "Look, I'm trying here..."_

_She sat up straight in her chair and gave him a cynical smile "Look, why don't you tell me what you really want?"_

_He pretended to be offended by her comment and said, "What do you mean? I said…"_

"_You're not that good an actor," she replied, her tone low and bitter. "You don't want me back anymore than I want you."_

_He decided to drop his act and pulled his hands away from hers. He released a breath and said, "I want you to talk to Kelly. Have her take me off the black ball list."_

"_Excuse me?"_

"_I was in line for a role in her next movie. It was a genuine supporting role. But now I can't even get a part as a background extra." His previously cheerful demeanor morphed into a surly, dower expression. "I talked to the casting director and she told me that Kelly told her not to hire me."_

"_I'm sorry about that but I don't tell Kelly what to do," Monica replied with a shake of her head. "Besides, she's not the only actress in the business. You can work for anyone else."_

_Bruce's face contorted, incensed. "But she only did it for you! If you tell her you are okay with me working on the set..."_

"_I gave you my answer. Goodbye, Bruce," she declared as she stood up and headed out of the coffee shop. _

_He jumped up and followed her outside where she was hailing a cab. "Monica, she is ruining my career!"_

"_Yeah, well, you ruined my faith in men, I think we're even," she replied as a cab slowed to a stop next to her. _

_She started to open the door when he grabbed her arm, seething, "You don't have to be such a vindictive bitch."_

"_You didn't have to be such a cheating asshole," she replied scornfully as she tried to yank her arm from his grip. "Now let go of me!"_

"_Not until you tell me that you are going to get me that job on the film! I want that part!"_

"_Unhand her!" a male's voice shouted. Bruce turned to see a short man with thick black rimmed glasses and short brown hair approach. _

"_Step off, this isn't any of your business," Bruce shouted back. _

_The man was undeterred. He stepped up to where they stood and stared daggers at Bruce. "I will not ask again, unhand Miss Grant." _

"_Look buddy, you don't know what the fuck you're talking about so just back the fuck off," Bruce growled, growing angrier by the second. _

"_I warned you," the man said before he punched Bruce in the ribs, knocking all of the wind out of him. He doubled over and Monica stood there, stunned, until her rescuer quickly ushered her into the back seat of the cab, getting in alongside her. _

_Bruce stayed there, trying to catch his breath as he watched the cab drive off and disappear around the corner._

XXX

"That was the last I saw of her," Bruce finished.

Sam jotted the information down in her notepad. "Do you think you could describe the man to a sketch artist?"

"Yeah, I guess but can it wait until after I audition?" Bruce asked. "I've been waiting all morning."

Suddenly a clerk emerged from the office and announced that the part had been cast before thanking everyone for coming in before disappearing back inside. There were groans and moans up and down the hall.

Sam looked at a crestfallen Bruce and said, "Well, it looks like you have time now."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

XXXXXXX

Martin finished editing his summation from his last case and signed off on it when he heard a knock on his office door. He looked up to see all four of his agents crowded together in the doorway watching him with excited and amused expressions. There was Raina Nelson, a plucky Indian woman with caramel colored skin and large eyes as dark as her black hair; Nick Hodges with his short strawberry blonde hair and round face that belied his quick Scottish temper; Jessica King, with her medium length brown hair, innocent face and sweet disposition; and of course, Dawson.

"Yes?" he asked, noticing that they all had expectant looks on their faces, much like his kids did on Christmas morning when they were about to open their presents. They all shuffled into his office but it was Dawson who approached his desk, his smile as wide as the Cheshire Cat. Martin put his pen down and squared his shoulders. "I know that smile and it can only mean trouble." The junior agent placed the palms of his hands flat on the polished wooden desktop, stared directly at him with a curious expression on his face but said nothing, just stood there studying him. Martin leaned back in his chair and asked, "What is it already?"

Dawson leaned in close and replied, "I just got a call from the lobby. They are escorting someone involved in Jack's case but since no one from his team is around they are sending her to us. It also seems that she asked for you – specifically," he paused for dramatic effect and finished, "Her name is Kelly Grant."

Trying his best to look cool and collected he cleared his throat and said, "Oh, okay, yeah, Sam briefed me on the case earlier today so it shouldn't be a problem."

Dustin laughed and asked, "Aren't you going to tell us how in the hell Kelly Grant knows who you are?"

"Oh, uh, I used to date her," Martin replied casually as he stood up and put on his jacket, purposely avoiding the gaping looks of his team.

It was so quiet that he could hear a paperclip drop when the silence was pierced by Raina's boisterous laughter. "That's a good one, Martin."

Jessica joined in with her snorted laughter, pausing only long enough to ask, "No, really, how do you know her?"

He stopped what he was doing, feeling irritated and offended by their utter disbelief. "I told you. I used to date her."

Nick, who was chuckling along with the rest of the team, stood perfectly still with his index finger pointed at him and said, "You?"

"Yes, me," he snapped back, annoyed that everyone seemed to believe he was incapable of dating someone like her. Hell, he got Sam to marry him and he thought that was far more difficult to comprehend. There was a knock on his door and he looked over to see Kelly standing in the doorway next to an escorting agent who was glowing with pride at standing next to a celebrity. Ignoring his team's incessant giggling, he smiled and said, "Hi Kelly."

Her lips curved up in a smile, revealing perfect white straight teeth. She had confessed to him when they were dating that her agent had insisted that all her teeth be capped in order to make her more marketable. At the time it cost her every dime she had to have it done and she was just praying that it was worth using her savings to find a job that would hire her based on her expensive smile. Judging by her skyrocketing career, Martin had to assume it was. She took a step forward and said, "Hi, Marty."

He started walking up to her and she met him halfway, pulling him into a friendly embrace and kissing him softly on the cheek. He pulled back and she reached up with her long delicate fingers to touch his cheek. She laughed and said, "Sorry, I got some lipstick on you." With a soft touch she ran her thumb over his jaw line and said, "There, I think I got it."

"Thanks," he replied as she dropped her hand away. He looked down at her, feeling slightly woozy at the sight of her. She was still as beautiful as he remembered and he found himself overcome with the memories of their time together. He released a breath and said, "You look great."

"So do you," she replied, her voice soft as silk.

They stood there staring at each other for a beat when he heard Dawson clearing his throat. He looked over to find his gaggle of agents staring at them amusedly. He rolled his eyes before turning to Kelly and saying, "Let me introduce you to my team," it didn't escape his attention that his voice sounded like a combination of pride and shy embarrassment, "This is Raina Nelson, Jessica King, Dawson Knox, and Nick Hodges."

"Hello," she greeted, taking the time to shake each of their hands as she did. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

He watched as his normally cool team morphed into what could only be described as giddy teenage groupies. Dustin couldn't even talk to her. He just stared at her dumb stuck as he mumbled like _Rain Man_, "I like your movies."

Kelly gave him a polite smile of gratitude and replied, "Thanks."

"I'm a huge fan," Raina gushed, clasping Kelly's hand between both of hers as she shook it furiously. "I've seen all of your movies."

"Me too," Jessica effused, her pale skin blushing bright pink. "I think you totally should have won the Oscar. You were way better than that other actress."

Kelly smiled at her awkwardly and replied, "Well, it was an honor just to be nominated."

"I bet you're supposed to say that," Dawson joked, giving her his best flirtatious grin.

"Maybe," Kelly replied, her eyes quickly darting at Martin.

He knew her well enough to know she wanted him to intervene so he stepped up and said, "Great, now that you have met the team and they have met you," he announced before gesturing for them all to exit he added, "Now they all have to leave."

They all gave him disgruntled looks before offering Kelly one more smile as they walked out the door. The agent that escorted Kelly up lingered so Martin jerked his head towards the door. The agent took the hint and exited after the rest of the team. He closed his office door and turned back to face her. "Sorry about that, I don't think any of them have ever met a met a famous movie star before."

She shook her head with a smile. "You'd think after all these years I'd get used to it but it still feels strange to have people fawn over me." She shrugged her shoulders and said, "I'm just me."

"Price of fame, I guess," he commented when he realized that while everyone stepped outside they were still gaping inside through the large windows that lined his office. He frowned at them as he walked over and closed the blinds. Through the glass he could hear the collective moans of disappointment. Satisfied that they were no longer being gawked at like they were in a fishbowl he gestured for her to sit down on the sofa. He was taken off guard when she sat down in the middle. He had thought she would sit on one end and she on the other but now he had no choice but to sit down directly next to her.

"So, I see you're a big wig in the FBI now," she commented, glancing around his office. It looked like almost every other SAC office. Golden wood furniture, bookshelves lined with binders on protocol or old cast studies, various commendations framed and hanging on the wall, and black leather sofa and chairs. He saw that her eyes landed on something on the wall behind his desk: a taped up finger painting that Grace had given him a few weeks ago. Kelly sighed and softly said, "Wow, do you have a child?"

"Two. A girl, Grace, and a little boy, Nate," he replied, staring at Grace's wildly colored finger painting of their family. Everyone looked like they had giant orb heads attached to stick figure bodies with hands that were small circles with a bunch of lines attached to signify their fingers. She had them all lined up in a row from tallest to shortest: him, Sam, Grace, Nate, and Milo. He pointed at the brightly colored piece of paper and said, "My daughter did that in school. She just started kindergarten. I don't like to brag but I think it is reminiscent of an early Pollock or Van Gogh."

She laughed. "Well, obviously she has great artistic talent." She turned to face him and added, "So, let's see them. I know you have to have pictures."

"As a matter of fact," he pulled out his wallet and flipped to the first of several photos. The first was a profile shot of Sam and Grace, their noses almost touching as they laughed. The next was a photo of Nate napping with Milo, his head resting on the dog's belly.

Kelly took the wallet in her hands and stared at the photos, flipping the plastic wrapped photos as she studied each one. With her eyes on the photo of Sam giving a bath to a three-month old Nate she whispered, "I met your wife today."

"She told me," he replied.

"It was weird," she said, turning to face him. "I always thought you would be married by now but apparently there is a big difference between thinking it and knowing." He nodded, understanding what she meant. She looked back at the photo in her hand and said, "She's the one isn't she? The 'complicated' woman?"

He didn't have to ask her to elaborate to know what she meant. He nodded his head and breathed, "Yeah, she is."

"You have a beautiful family," she replied with a smile as she closed his wallet, handing it back to him. "I'm glad that things worked out."

"Me too," he replied, taking his wallet back, tucking it back into his pocket. "But look at you. You're a super famous movie star."

"Super? I'm an actress not a hero," she joked. She leaned back against the sofa and stared straight ahead. "But yeah, my career is going really well."

He leaned back, too, their shoulders not quite touching. "Then you got your wish." She looked at him questioningly so he elaborated. "If memory serves you used to wish that you would always be able to get paid to act." He bumped his shoulder against hers and said, "What was it you said? 'Please dear God, let me be able to make enough money to pay the bills'? I'm paraphrasing of course."

She smiled and replied, "That seems like a lifetime ago." She looked at him, her eyes soft and dreamy, "And if my memory serves that was just after you starting dating your wife…"

XXX

_Martin entered the dimly lit hotel bar. There was a small scattering of people and he scanned the tables looking for a familiar face when he spotted Kelly sitting at the booth in the back of the room. She was sipping a tall cold beer with her eyes on the TV mounted on the wall. He glanced at the screen to see that there was a football game on. He didn't know why exactly but it pleased him to see that despite her new found fame she was still as big a sports fan as he was. _

_He was surprised to get her call today. He hadn't talked to her in more than two years but when she called to say she was in town to publicize her upcoming movie he agreed to see her. He didn't know why exactly but he decided to not tell Sam where he was going tonight. Thankfully, she was on call so she was working and he didn't have to make up an excuse. Of course, the voice in his head reminded him that a lie by omission is still a lie. But then he reminded himself that he was only here to catch up with an old friend, nothing more. _

_She didn't see him approach so he stood right next to her and in the best geeky voice he could imitate he gushed out, "Can I have an autograph?"_

"_Sure, for twenty bucks." She looked up at him and with a wide, beatific grin she said, "Hey, Marty." _

_She stood up and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into a tight hug. He squeezed her back and replied, "Hey yourself."_

_She released him and gestured for him to sit down. The waiter walked over and asked if he would like anything. Martin pointed to Kelly's drink and asked, "What are you having?"_

"_Fosters," she replied. He ordered one and Kelly ordered another for herself. As soon as the waiter walked away she looked at him and said, "It's so good to see your face."_

"_Please, this ugly mug," he teased, scrunching up his face. "I'd say the same but I get to see pictures of you everywhere. On the cover of magazines, TV interviews, movie posters, billboards…"_

_She put her hands over her face. "Augh, I know!" She sighed heavily and dropped her hands onto the table. "My mom still calls me every time she sees a commercial for one of my movies. It was cute at first but now I am starting to screen her calls."_

_The waiter walked back over, placed two tall cold beers on the table and took Kelly's empty glass before heading back to the bar. Martin took a long drink; the beer was deliciously cold. "So how are you?" _

"_I'm busy but it's going really well," she replied, pausing to take a drink. "It's surreal. One day I am going from audition to audition, praying that someone will hire me and I can pay the rent and then after just one movie suddenly producers and directors are calling me."_

_He lifted up his glass and clinked it against hers, "To your success."_

_She tapped her glass against his and took a drink. "So how have you been? What are you up to? Talk to me, tell me what's going on." _

_He licked his lips and replied, "There isn't much to tell. Work keeps me really busy so I spend most of my time at the office or out in the field." He reached over and grabbed the bowl of mixed nuts that was on the table and popped a cashew in his mouth. As he chewed he added, "Some of the cases really wear us down but when you get the ones that have a happy ending it makes the job totally worth it." _

"_I'm still impressed by what you do," she said, reaching over to procure some nuts for herself. She tossed a few nuts in her mouth and between chews she said, "I complain about the demands of being an actress but to do what you do, it's so courageous to put your life on the line every day for other people."_

"_I think you might be romanticizing it a bit much," he replied, taking a sip of his beer. He lowered his glass and continued. "For every case I have to draw my gun there are about forty where I spend a bulk of my time in the office doing research. The most dangerous thing I encounter on a daily basis is a paper cut." He held up his index finger and pretended to study it with concern. "But those really do hurt."_

_She laughed. "Either way, you do important work. Don't diminish it." _

_He just nodded and asked, "So, what about you? Because according to People Magazine you are dating…"_

_She held up her hand to stop him. "Don't believe everything you read in those rags. Our agents set up a lunch meet and greet to discuss doing a project together, that's it. I'm still very single." She lifted up her glass and added, "What about you? Are you seeing anyone?"_

_He knew she was trying to sound casual but the way she looked at him she was quite curious as to what his reply would be. Her gaze was seductive as she waited for his reply, taking a long slow drink so he could understand what she was really asking him. It sent a warm tingling sensation that went straight to his groin. There was not doubt that he could have her right now if he just said that he was free. Actually, judging by the way she was looking at him, he could probably have her no matter what he replied. _

_Tempting. There was no other word for it._

_He shifted in his seat trying to think how to answer. He and Sam were seeing each other but he was growing tired of keeping their relationship hidden from the rest of the team. He was pushing for more flexibility, at the very least more options. Plus, lately their arguments were outnumbering their good times and he was wondering if it was worth it. The hard part was, in spite of her obvious resistance he couldn't imagine not being able to be with her. Everyday was a constant push and pull but he also knew that no matter what, if he did anything with Kelly any possibilities with Sam would be forever lost. So he stifled the part of him, that one single part that was screaming in his pants for him to tell Kelly he was single, and dutifully replied, "I'm seeing someone."_

"_I see," she replied, her fingers delicately stroking the beer glass. The simple act made his pants feel inordinately tight. "Is it serious?"_

_He didn't know if he could call what he had with Sam 'serious' since she seemed more focused on keeping it hidden versus actually making more of a commitment. He scoured his mind, trying to think how best to define what they had when he remembered something Sam had told him long ago. "It's complicated." _

"_Complicated?" Kelly repeated, skeptical but intrigued. "People usually only use the word complicated when one person thinks of the relationship as being one way and the other one disagrees." _

"_Something like that," he replied, taking a long drink. _

"_I see." She watched him for a beat before leaning in close and whispering, "Martin, let me just say something that is clear and quite uncomplicated. I'm only going to be in town for three days. I'm not looking for anything permanent; my life is too crazy for that right now. But those few months we shared are still some of my very favorite memories. We are very compatible and I know I can trust you and you can trust me. So if you have any doubts about what you have with this complicated woman, I want you to know that you can come up to my room right now with no expectations or obligations beyond this one night." _

_Scratch that, this was damn tempting. But as much as his nether regions were screaming for him to take Kelly up on her offer the heart and mind were the voice of reason. He must not and could not do that to Sam. _

_He shook his head and replied, "Sorry." _

_She shrugged, looking disappointed. "Are you sure?"_

_He nodded. Wanting to return to the levity from earlier he leaned in close and quipped, "Did you only call me up for a booty call? I don't remember you being this forward."_

_She gave him a coy smile and winked. "I'm usually not but I wanted to let you know where I stand." She gave a resolved sigh, leaned in close, meeting his gaze and added, "And if I really don't have a chance then I am going to order a burger and onion rings."_

"_I thought movie stars only ate salad."_

"_I start training for an action film next week and the director wants me to do my own martial arts. I intend to indulge while I can." She leaned back and with a feigned hurt expression on her face she grumbled, "Besides, it's not like I am going to get laid anytime soon." _

_He chuckled and waved the waiter over. _

XXX

"I guess all things considered it was a good thing you didn't take me up on my offer," Kelly commented. "You know what's funny though? When she asked me how I knew you I suddenly felt guilty. I don't know why exactly. It's not like we did anything."

"Me too," he replied. "I think it's because she's a trained investigator. She has the ability to make you feel guilty and want to confess." He looked at her and joked, "It makes her a stellar agent but a bit scary as a wife."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

XXXXXXX

Sam wandered down the hallway carrying an iced coffee in each hand. She thought she would stop by Martin's office before Kelly arrived to look at the sketch Bruce had given them of the man last seen with Monica. She was still feeling cheerful from their earlier conversation. She missed being flirty with her husband and him being flirty back.

As she neared Martin's office she spotted his entire team and several other agents lingering outside his closed door, chattering and whispering. Curious, she glanced at his window to see that all of the blinds were pulled shut. This did not please her at all. She strode up to his office and everyone stopped to look at her. Oh, this was not making her the least bit happy.

"Hey Sam," Dawson greeted her with overzealous cheer. "What's up?"

She glanced at the closed door and replied, "You tell me."

Dawson stiffened up nervously as he stammered, "Oh, uh, Martin's talking to someone involved in your missing person case. Kelly something…"

Sam narrowed her eyes at the tall agent and as she pushed past him she replied, "Dawson, it's a damn good thing you don't do undercover work. You're an awful liar."

She knocked on the office door but didn't wait for him to reply before she entered. She opened the door to find Martin and Kelly sitting on his sofa laughing. Sitting close together and laughing.

"I can't believe you're a Lakers fan now," Martin said, a look of shock on his face. "That's sacrilegious."

"You make it sound like I cheated on the Knicks," she joked. "I couldn't help it, I lived in Los Angeles for over thirteen years. I was having a long distance relationship with them while the Lakers were so close. They drew me in with their bright yellow and purple uniforms, aggressive defense, and courtside seats…"

"Yeah, well, if you put it that way then yes, you were stepping out on our New York boys and cheating is wrong," Martin accused.

"I couldn't agree more," Sam interjected. Both Martin and Kelly turned to look at her with surprised expressions. She plastered a smile on her face and replied, "Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt this little reunion."

"Hey," Martin said as he stood up quickly and walked over to where she stood. "I didn't even hear you come in."

She could tell by the way he was looking at her he was try to gauge if she was angry or not. She decided to play it cool and let him wonder. "Sorry, I didn't think to knock." She looked at Kelly and said, "I just wander into my husbands office so much I sometimes forget." She handed Martin his coffee and wandered over to the seating area, sitting directly opposite of Kelly. "I'm surprised to see you. When I spoke with you earlier you said you didn't think you'd make it here until later this afternoon."

Kelly at least had the decency to look a little guilty as she explained, "The photo shoot wrapped up early so I thought I'd come by." She motioned towards Martin who was taking the seat alongside Sam and added, "Since you and Agent Malone weren't around I thought I'd catch up with Martin. He's been showing me pictures of Grace and Nate. You have beautiful children."

Sam wondered just how big a scandal it would cause if punched a movie star in the nose. Knowing the tabloids, it would just increase Kelly's popularity and the last thing she wanted to do is help the movie stars career. So she forced her lips to curve up into a grin and replied, "Thank you."

They sat there quietly for a long few seconds when outside the office they heard Danny's voice shout, "Get back to work already." Suddenly the door swung open and he appeared, holding a large manila folder. He spotted the three of them seated around the small coffee table. "Hi, sorry I didn't knock but Dawson said that you were all in here so I figured I wouldn't be interrupting." He strode directly up to Kelly and introduced himself, "Ms. Grant, I'm Danny Taylor. I'm working the case with Sam and Martin."

Kelly reached out to shake his hand. "Hello."

"Hello," he replied. He sat down next to Kelly, his eyes darting back and forth between Sam and Martin. "So, Ms. Grant…"

"Call me Kelly, please," she politely corrected.

"Kelly," he began again. Sam noticed the pleased smile on his face. Clearly, he was bitten by the celebrity bug as well. "I have the sketch of the man Bruce said left with Monica after she met with him." He pulled the sketch out of the manila envelope and showed it to her. "Do you recognize this man?"

Kelly took the sheet of paper and looked at it. "He sort of looks like Arthur Wyndorf."

"You know him?" Martin asked.

She squinted and studied it carefully, "He looks older than I remember but yeah I know him. He's…sort of a fan."

"Sort of?" Sam asked.

"My agent would call him an fanatic," Kelly replied, dropping the sketch on the table. She clasped her hands on her lap and said, "I actually placed a restraining order against him about six years ago."

"Why?" Sam asked, reaching into her jacket pocket to get her notepad.

"I thought he was just a devoted fan. I'd see him a publicity events, fundraisers, etc. He set up an unofficial website, sent me gifts, birthday cards, and long letters. He seemed relatively harmless so we didn't worry about it. And then we found out that his posts went from being basic updates to these long rants that bordered on stalking. My manager checks in on those sites from time to time and after reading some posts, we all agreed that it was time to hire a bodyguard…"

XXX

"_Do you think you might be overreacting?" Kelly argued as she plucked apart some fresh basil. She was at her house in Malibu preparing dinner while her agent, Sal Kahn, and her manager, Curtis Metcalf, were standing around the island in her kitchen trying to convince her to hire a permanent bodyguard. "It's bad enough that I have to hire them for publicity events. I don't want to have one hovering around me everywhere I go like some muscular shadow." _

"_Kelly, you are a highly recognizable celebrity now, more and more nut jobs are out there wanting to be your best friend," Sal replied as he moved around the island to snag a few pine nuts she had in a small bowl on the counter. _

"_I just think that having somebody follow me around would attract even more attention," she rebutted as she placed the basil on some salad plates. Sal sighed heavily and cast a knowing look at Curtis. She noticed it immediately and asked, "What aren't you guys telling me?" _

_Curtis turned around and flipped open his briefcase. He pulled out a small sheath of printouts and said, "We were hoping we wouldn't have to show these to you but if you are going to be a stubborn redhead about it…" he handed her the papers. _

_She wiped her hands on a towel before accepting them. "What are they? Death threats?"_

"_Not exactly," Sal replied as he opened the refrigerator and pulled out three bottles of beer. He twisted the cap off the first one and placed it in front of where Kelly stood reading. He then handed one to Curtis and kept the final one for himself. _

_She read the web address on top and said, "I know this site. It's run by…um, Arthur something or other."_

"_Arthur Wyndorf," Curtis provided. "He's had the site for a few years and up until recently there was no problem with it."_

"_What do you mean 'up until recently'?" she asked._

"_Look for yourself," Sal said, motioning to the papers in her hand._

_They stood there drinking and waiting while she read through pages upon pages of blogs where Arthur had posted long detailed descriptions of her day-to-day activities; including the shopping trip she made to Trader Joe's that very morning. His described in exact detail what she was wearing, what she purchased and even the items she looked at but didn't buy. She glanced at the basil, tomatoes and fresh mozzarella sitting on her counter and felt a chill up her spine that she was being watched so closely without even realizing it. She looked over at Curtis and asked, "Who…when...I don't even know where to begin." _

_Curtis walked over and handed her the beer. "From what we can gather he has had the site for over three years but the blogs didn't start getting that descriptive until a few months ago." She took a long drink and he continued, "I hired a private detective to look into his background and it seems that he was originally running his website out of Kansas City but moved to Los Angeles two months ago which is when the site got a lot more personal." He fiddled with his bottle cap in his hands as he talked. "He was fired from his previous job for illegally using the company's internet account to update his site. He's been living off his unemployment."_

_She took another swig and said, "Okay, I am officially creeped out but don't you think that maybe we are overreacting?" _

"_Right now he seems harmless enough but we think it would be better to nip this in the bud right now." Curtis pulled another sheet of paper out of his briefcase and said, "So Sal and I agreed and we had an attorney draw up a petition to file a restraining order against him."_

"_Don't you think that will just make him angrier?" she asked, not liking the idea of having the media attention that this would invite._

"_It would be better to do something about him now than risk him escalating," Curtis explained. _

_She gave him a reluctant look and read another post where Arthur wrote in long detail about her jogging around the Hollywood Ravine. When she was done she dropped the papers on the counter and said, "Okay, let's do it." She pulled out her cutting board and started slicing the Roma tomatoes. "But as far as the bodyguard goes I want the kind that dresses in civilian clothes and stays ten feet behind me." _

"_Whatever you say," Sal agreed. _

XXX

Kelly leaned forward and finished, "We were able to get the restraining order against him and it seemed to lessen the blogs. He still got some information because of telephoto lenses but he never got too close." She fingered the edge of the sketch and said, "And once I moved to New York they stopped altogether. I thought he grew tired of me."

"Not likely. People with these kinds of obsessions don't easily give them up." Martin shook his head and said, "My best guess is that since Monica was staying at your place he was watching your apartment and mistook her for you."

"When he saw Bruce arguing with Monica he thought he was coming to your defense," Sam said. "Seeing an opportunity to come to your rescue was probably the only thing that compelled him to come forward and expose himself."

Danny nodded in agreement. "Did you have the restraining extended since you've moved to New York?"

"We didn't think it was necessary," Kelly replied. "Arthur disabled the website a few years ago and I haven't seen or heard from him since."

"How much did Monica know about Arthur?" Martin asked, jotting down notes of his own.

"She knew about him but she wasn't involved in any of the court proceedings," Kelly replied. "I felt silly enough doing it to begin with, I didn't want to make it more dramatic by talking about with everyone I know."

"Considering how alike you and Monica look didn't it ever occur to you that she might be mistook by stalkers as well?" Sam asked. It bothered her that the tone of the question sounded entirely too snippy even to her own ears.

"I'm sorry, it honestly didn't," Kelly replied, sounding hurt. She looked over at Martin and with her voice cracking with emotion she said, "Do you really think Arthur might have taken her thinking it was me?" She lowered her head and cradled it in her hands. "What have I done? This is all my fault."

"No one is saying it's your fault," Martin replied pointedly. Sam noticed that when he said it he was looking directly at her.

"We just have to cover all the possible avenues," Danny contributed. "But I can assure you that we're going to do everything we can to find her."

Kelly looked up, a worried expression on her face and gave a tense smile of gratitude.

"We're going to need you to give us all the information you can on Arthur," Martin said as he walked over and picked up a legal pad from his desk. He handed it to Kelly and added, "The date of the original restraining order, the website, etc."

"I don't really know that much. Sal and Curtis handled almost all the details," she replied, placing the pad on her lap.

"Then we're going to need their contact information as well," Sam replied, standing up. She tossed her half-empty cup into the wastebasket and started out of the office. "I'll go get started on his background check."

Danny remained on the sofa with Kelly reviewing what sort of information they would need while Martin stood up and followed Sam out. Thankfully the gathering outside his office had dissipated and it was just the two of them.

"Are we going to talk about this?" he asked, his voice low and soft so only she could hear.

"About what?" she asked as she strode purposefully down the hall.

He gently but firmly grabbed her elbow, stopping her. "About the way you were behaving back there."

She spun around on her heels and in the most casual tone she could muster she said, "Okay, should we start with the closed blinds? Or how about the cozy little way you were both sitting on the sofa laughing?"

"I thought we already had this fight?" he asked.

"So did I." She mirrored his casual stance and said, "But I do not like the way she is acting with you. She has something else going on then just a missing friend."

She saw him working his jaw the way he did when he was annoyed but trying his best to not let his emotions take over. "First of all, the only thing going in my office before you got there was me reminiscing with an old friend. And for your information, I was bragging about our family the whole time." He leaned into her, invading her personal space. "And second of all, as far as the cause for my little reunion with Kelly it was strictly professional. She is involved with a missing person case after all. It's not like I called her up for personal reasons."

Sam knew in her heart she was being irrational but there was a vibe coming from Kelly that her feminine intuition did not trust. She gave him a confident but warning smile as she said, "Just be sure you keep…" she glanced at his trousers, "your professionalism in your pants."

He had a smirk on his face as he shook his head bemusedly. With that said, she waggled her eyebrows at him before walking away.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

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Jack walked into the cab depot ahead of Paul. He scanned the area to try and locate the cage where the dispatcher sat when he heard Paul ask one of the cab drivers lingering nearby. The driver pointed to the corner of the garage where a woman sat enclosed in a windowed cubicle.

They walked to the cubicle and flashed their badges.

The woman behind the desk was a stout figure with thin dirty blonde hair. Her skin was ashy gray, probably from sitting in a garage filled with car exhaust for eight hours a day. She scowled at them and growled, "What?"

Jack shared a perturbed look with Paul before replying, "We need to know what cab picked up a fair outside of Espresso Madison coffee shop around eight thirty last night."

Her beady eyes darted between them before asking, "That's on east sixty eighth right?" Paul nodded and she clicked a few keys on the computer. "That would be Raj Dhakar Agbaje. He's over there." She pointed to a small-framed Indian man smoking a cigarette and chatting with a few other drivers.

Jack and Paul gave her a nod of thanks and walked to where the men were lingering. All of the drivers eyed the agents warily as Jack held out his badge and said, "We need to speak with Ra..Rage…"

"Just call me Ray," the thin man replied, smoke coming out of his nose. He straightened his posture and said, "I have my green card. I am legal."

"We're not with Immigration," Paul clarified. He pulled out a picture of Monica and showed it to Ray. "Do you recognize this woman?"

Ray looked at the photo as he took another puff of his cigarette. When he blew out the smoke he replied, "Yes, the actress. I remember her. She fight with man before getting in with different man."

"Is this the man she got in the cab with?" Jack asked, showing Ray a photo of the sketch on his cell phone.

"Yes, strange little man," Ray said as he examined the photo. He exhaled, streams of smoke shooting out through his nostrils. "Then she argue with man in cab too."

XXX

_Ray is behind the wheel of his cab and as he drove he glanced in his rearview mirror to listen and observe what Monica and Arthur are discussing. _

"_Thanks for helping me back there," Monica said, her voice still sounding distressed. She is straightening her clothes in an attempt to calm down. _

"_You shouldn't be with a man like that," Arthur said, his voice even and cool. _

"_Well, I'm not anymore," she replied, tucking her hair behind her ears. "I've never seen that side of Bruce. He was so angry." _

"_He's not worthy of your affection." His gaze was fixed on Monica so intensely he wasn't even blinking. "You need to be with someone who will worship you." _

_For the first time Monica noticed his weird behavior and she nervously replied, "That's nice of you to say so." _

"_I mean it," Arthur said with conviction. _

_She gave him a nervous smile before turning away and leaning into the small window that serves as a barrier between the driver and passenger. Ray glanced at her over his shoulder as she said, "Um, can you please drop me off at the next corner?" _

_Arthur's expression flickered between hurt and anger. "But your apartment is still seven blocks away." _

_Monica turned around slowly, looking fearful. "How do you know where I live?" _

"_I know everything about you Kelly."_

_She plastered a smile on her face and turned to Arthur saying, "I'm sorry, you have me confused with Kelly Grant. My name is Monica." _

_Arthur's face contorted with anger before going blank again. He gave her a odd smile and said, "You don't have to pretend with me,"_

_Monica emitted a nervous laugh before clearing her throat and saying, "You know what? I just remembered I have to go meet a bunch of my friends so I'll just get out now." _

"_Can I come with you, Kelly?" he asked. _

"_No, it's a private party," she replied as gently as she could. She leaned in towards Ray and said, "Can you please pull over?"_

"_No place to park, I will stop after next light," he replied, "I do at next block."_

"_Never mind, I'll just get out now," she told Ray as he pulled to a stop at the busy intersection. She pulled a twenty out of her purse and handed it to him. She reached over and grabbed the door handle telling him to keep the change before stepping out of the cab. The light changed to green and Ray didn't want to pull forward until she was safely away. Cars behind him starting honking their horns, shouting for him to get going. As soon as she was out of the cab she closed the door behind her just as Arthur tried to follow her out. She kept her palm pressed the door and told Arthur, "Thanks again for your help. You have a good night." _

_Before he could get a reply in she turned and hurried towards the sidewalk. Ray pulled the cab forward so Arthur couldn't exit after but as they drove away he shouted after her sounding frustrated, "Kelly, why are your lying to me after I helped you?! Kelly!" _

XXX

"He seemed to really believe she was this Kelly person," Ray finished, dropping his cigarette to the floor and extinguishing it with the sole of his shoe.

"And you don't think she looked like Kelly Grant?" Paul asked.

"Who is she?"

"She's a famous movie star," Paul replied, incredulous. Ray shrugged. "She is only one of the hottest actresses there is. Are you seriously telling me you don't know her?"

"Sorry," Ray replied. He pulled out another cigarette and said, "Now, Aishwarya Rai, now she is a movie star." He tapped the cigarette on his arm and said, "She is number one actress in my country. Beautiful woman."

Jack could see Paul gearing up to continue this discussion so he quickly interrupted, "Where did you drop off the man after Monica got out?"

Ray lit up the cigarette and replied, "Next block. 63rd and Madison."

"Did you see which direction he was headed?" Jack asked, secretly envying how easily the man was chain smoking. After all these years he still missed it. He took a deep inhalation of the delicious smoke as he waited for Ray to reply.

"I don't know, he just got out." Ray must have noticed he look on Jack's face because he wordlessly reached into his pocket and pulled out the pack of cigarettes, offering one to Jack.

Jack waved him off and said, "No thanks."

Ray shrugged and put them back in his front pocket. "He leave something in my cab. You want?"

Jack resisted the urge to roll his eyes and said, "Yeah, we want."

Ray walked to his cab and reached into the passenger seat. When he returned he handed Jack a plastic ID badge that read: Welcome to Videorama, I'm Arthur. Jack showed it to Paul who took it from him before stepping away to call tech on his cell phone.

"Can I go now?" Ray asked. "My shift starts now."

"Yeah, you can go," Jack nodded, motioning that it was okay for Ray to leave.

As soon as the cab driver was gone, Paul came back over with his cell phone resting on his shoulder. He said, "I just talked to Sam and she told me that they know the name of the guy is Arthur Wyndorf. It seems he used to stalk Kelly back in LA. I told them about the ID badge and they said that when they called his employer, he hasn't shown up to work in three days."

Jack processed the information and said, "Give me your phone." Paul handed it to him. "Sam?"

"Yeah, Jack?" she replied.

"Do you have an address for this guy?"

"No, the one he gave to his employer was for a Dry Cleaners," she replied. In the background he could hear her typing on the keyboard. "Danny and I are trying to get a hold of his bank records but so far this guy is working off the map."

Jack and Paul started walking towards the exit. "Do me a favor, contact Chase Manhattan and see if you can get a hold of the footage from their ATM on Madison."

"You got it," she replied before hanging up.

"So what are we thinking?" Paul asked as they stepped out of the garage into the sunshine. "Since this Arthur guy knew where she lived he knew which way she would be headed so he abducted her thinking she was Kelly?"

Jack handed the phone back to Paul and replied, "Yeah, but the problem is, she wasn't. So either he is holding her thinking he has his movie star or worse, he found out that he has someone else." As they made their way back to the car he added, "Either scenario, Monica is in a lot of trouble."


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

XXXXXXX

"I want you to carry this plate to the table and give it to Uncle Marcus," Viv instructed.

"Okay," Grace replied. She took the plate of brownies and turned to walk back into the dining area. She had her little tongue sticking out just a little as she concentrated on the task and Viv smiled at how much she reminded her of Martin. As soon as she reached the doorway she proudly declared, "We're having brownies for dessert!"

Viv smiled at the little girl as she picked up the coffee pot and carton of milk. She didn't get to see Martin and Sam's kids very much so when Sam called at the last minute and said that she and Martin were both tied up with a case she happily agreed to babysit them. She had to admit that now that Reggie was all grown up and moved out, she enjoyed these nights when the house was full of people. Kate had come over for dinner so she could interview Marcus and since Henry was her husband's shadow he had stayed to join them for dinner as well. When Reggie showed up unannounced at the last minute it was the more the merrier. She walked into the dining area to see that both Grace and Nate were staring at the brownies piled high on the plate looking anxious.

"Uncle Marcus said not to pass them around until you sat down," Grace announced. She was sitting on her chair; her little legs swinging back and forth.

"That's cuz he knows what's good for him," Viv replied with a wink as she set the coffee and milk on the table.

Reggie leaned in towards Grace and in a conspiratorial voice whispered, "Your Auntie Viv is a certified chocolate addict."

Grace giggled.

Viv reached for Nate's glass and noticed that he was sitting on his knees with his elbows on the table and his eyes fixed on the brownies. She glanced over at Marcus and said, "For God's sake, give this boy a brownie before his eyes bulge out of his head."

Marcus laughed and placed a brownie on the little boy's plate. As Nate quickly picked it up he said, "Thank you," before shoving a large piece in his mouth. Viv chuckled to herself that it seems Martin's son took after him as well.

After Marcus served himself and Grace, he passed the plate to Kate and said, "What was it you were asking again?"

Kate placed a brownie on her plate and handed it to Henry who had been listening intently to the interview. She lifted up her brownie to take a bite and replied, "I asked you what three things you would change about the university system if you were the president."

Marcus took a bite of his brownie as he contemplated his response. "Well, I suppose the first thing I would do is…"

Henry was so engrossed in Marcus and Kate's discussion that he just held the plate in his hand, not taking a brownie. Reggie stared at him a beat before reaching over and grabbing the plate saying, "You snooze. You lose."

Viv watched as Reggie took two brownies. He didn't even notice that she was trying to give him a motherly warning to watch his manners. She just sighed and poured coffee for all the adults at the table, tuning in and out of the conversation. As she poured Henry's cup she watched him, smiling bemusedly. She noticed that the entire night Henry was being very attentive to Kate. He laughed at all her jokes, was incredibly interested in her questions and tried to interject himself whenever possible. She idly wondered if there could be a love match going on.

She sat down and as she mixed some milk into her coffee she watched as Nate gobbled up the rest of his brownie. He had a smudges of chocolate in the corner of his mouth so when he smiled at her his teeth were outlined in dark brown. Viv laughed remembering when Reggie used to be that age and all it took was a sweet to make him happy. She turned to look at her now grown son and smiled, that she was still here to see him become the man he is now.

XXX

"_Does it feel weird?" a teenage Reggie asked, pointing to the scar on her chest. "Can you tell that you have someone else's heart?" He was sitting on the foot of her bed in her bedroom at home, watching her with a combination of curiosity and concern. _

"_It feels…different but good," she replied, sitting up with her back pressed up to the headboard. She was still adjusting to the news that she was now the recipient of a heart transplant; with the heart of someone she knew. "I can breathe on my own again. I don't have to use the oxygen tube." _

"_That's good," he replied, fiddling with the zipper on his hoody jacket as he stared at the numerous prescription bottles on her nightstand. He jerked his chin to the medication and asked, "How long do you have to take those?" _

"_According to my doctor I will have to take a combination of the medications for the rest of my life," she replied, trying to sound upbeat and positive. She had been on an emotional roller coaster since the transplant but she was ready to get back to the task of living. Especially because one of the main reasons she was happy to still be alive was sitting right in front of her. _

"_I'm glad you're going to get better," he said softly. _

"_Me too," she replied. She patted the side of the bed next to her and told him, "Reg, come and sit next to me." He scooted up and sat next to her, his shoulder was even with hers and she realized just how tall her son was getting. She reached over and held his hand. "You know my getting a new heart was a gift and that means that each day from here on is a gift too." She squeezed his hand and with conviction in her voice she said, "So I am going to be sure to tell you everyday how much I love you," she moved her hand so she could pull him into a tight hug, "how important you are to me," she kissed him on the temple, "that you are the single best thing I have ever done in my life and you make me proud to be your mama." _

_He tried to wiggle loose and muttered, "Mom, stop it…you're getting all gushy…" _

_She pulled him tighter to her and planted another kiss on his cheek. "Get used to it, Reggie, because each day I get to remind you that I love you is a gift, too." _

XXX

She smiled to herself as she tuned back into the conversation going around the table. She looked over in time to hear Henry ask Kate, "Your boyfriend must be pretty confident to date a woman with so many opinions."

She laughed and replied, "That might be why I don't have a boyfriend. I have too many opinions."

Henry smiled and poured himself another cup of coffee. "So you're not seeing anyone?"

Reggie quickly swallowed the chunk of brownie and replied, "Not Kate, she likes to play the field."

Kate rolled her eyes and with her gaze on Reggie she said, "Hey, I'm pretty sure I've seen you playing in that same field yourself. In fact," she leaned in and in a conspiratorial voice said, "I hear that you just send Joy back out to pasture."

Viv perked up at hearing this bit of news and asked, "What? You and Joy broke up? When did this happen?"

Reggie broke off another piece of brownie and popped it into his mouth. "About a week ago. I guess I forgot to tell you."

"What happened?" Marcus asked.

"She was getting too serious so I broke it off a week ago," he replied.

"Oh, I see," Viv replied, lifting up her cup to take a sip. She did her best to restrain her pleasure as she said, "That's too bad."

"Oh, please," he scoffed. "I know you are happy. You never liked her."

She put her cup back down on the saucer and said, "I never said I didn't like her."

It got really quiet for a beat when the entire table busted out in laughter. Reggie, Marcus, Kate and even Henry starting chiming in on all the ways they knew she didn't like Joy. From the way her face soured up whenever Joy was mentioned to the fact that she never asked about Joy until the end of dinner.

"How about the fact that you would say her name like it left a bad taste in your mouth?" Reggie asked, smiling broadly.

She stared daggers at them before shaking her head and saying, "So she wasn't my favorite person." She tapped the side of her coffee cup and cleared her throat. "I can admit that but to say I didn't like her, that's a bit extreme." When they started laughing again she rolled her eyes and said, "That's enough of making fun of me. Let's change the subject."

"What do you want to talk about? World events? Movies? Work?" Reggie asked; a smirk on his face. "How about how you are worried that if I keep playing the field you won't get any grandkids?"

"Now you're baiting me," she replied with a frown. She turned towards Grace and said, "Tell you what, Grace: you're a guest here, too, what do you want to talk about?"

Grace tapped her finger on her chin as she thought about it carefully. Then she looked right at Reggie and asked, "Where is the field that you play in? Is it near the park?"

Everyone laughed.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

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Danny sat at his desk and rubbed the back of his neck hoping to get the kinks out. Last night was hard for Diego so he spent most of the night in the boys' bedroom holding vigil. Emma's father tried to intervene and insist on staying with the boys but Danny held his ground and eventually Richard backed down. He slept on the floor between the boys' beds still reeling from his earlier conversation with Emma and her confession about Diego's illness.

XXX

_Danny stepped out of the bathroom, freshly showered and moved over to the dresser and started pulling out some fresh clothes. He heard the door open and Emma walked in, looking worn. Her hair pulled back into a loose ponytail, wisps of hair falling out. _

_She started to the bathroom when she stumbled over his shoes, quickly recovering before she fell. She picked up his shoes and with restrained anger she said, "Damn it, Danny. When are you going to learn to pick up your shoes?" She threw his shoe at the floor when he stood. "I'm sick and tired of having to tell you all the time."_

"_What's your problem?" he replied, bitterly as he picked up the shoe and tossed it in his side of the closet. _

_She stopped, staring daggers at him, and replied, "My problem is you seem to think that the entire house is your laundry room and you can just leave your shit wherever you want." _

"_My shit?" he repeated. Lately all of their energy was being spent focusing on the kids, which meant that they hardly had any energy left for each other. And it seemed that any they had left was filled with anger and frustration and they were each easy targets. _

"_This is my house, too, and I don't see why it's such a big deal." He turned around and said, "I'm sorry you tripped, okay?" even though he didn't really mean it._

"_I'm sick of you being sorry all the time," she retorted as she moved around the room picking up his discarded clothes and some of the boys toys. "How about you stop being sorry and actually help me around here."_

"_I do help around here," he argued. "I help straighten up, I make dinner, and I help with the boys…all while having to," he lowered his voice to whisper, "deal with your parents constant hovering."_

_She glanced at the door and lowered her voice as well. "If it wasn't for my parents being here I wouldn't have any help at all." _

_He stared at her, feeling betrayed by her comment. He leaned in close and seethed, "You have a lot of nerve acting like they do everything while I just lay around like a big lump. I'm here everyday, too, Emma. I'm busting my ass just as hard as you, trying to keep it together for the kids while constantly having to deal with your dad criticizing everything I do," he took a step back and gestured to his mouth and added, "And I keep a big fucking smile on my face while I do it." _

_She just rolled her eyes as he spoke, angrily stuffing some clothes into the hamper. He could see it was filled to capacity but watched as she kept adding more clothes and then tried closing the lid. When it didn't fit right because it was too full she tried slamming it shut repeatedly until she wasn't really trying to make it fit anymore – she was just hitting it over and over. And then before he knew it she was crying. _

_Danny stared at her for a beat, the anger still rolling through him. When her soft whimpers escalated into open sobbing he suddenly felt guilty so he walked to where she stood and delicately placed his hands on her shoulders to try and turn her around. She resisted at first, still insistently trying to close the lid. He tugged her once more and she finally relented, turning around and leaning into him as she sobbed. _

_He wrapped his arms around her and soothingly ran his hands over her back. _

"_I'm sorry, Danny. I don't know why I said that you don't do anything," she moved back so she could look him in the eyes. He could see tears still welling in her eyes and spilling down her cheeks. She wiped her eyes and said, "I just feel so powerless right now, like I am losing control over everything and I'm taking it out on you."_

"_We have a lot to deal with right now," he said as he wiped her cheek with his palm. "You are doing a great job with the boys."_

"_Yeah, right," she muttered. "Everything is such a mess…"_

_He laughed. "We have three sons. It doesn't matter if the house is in shambles. I don't think I would recognize it if it wasn't." _

_She shook her head and looked away. "That's not what I meant." He could see her lower lip trembling as she said, "It's not working, Danny. The treatments aren't working. We should have seen some improvements by now…"_

"_But," Danny began, trying to process what she just told him. "But you told me after his last appointment it was looking good."_

"_I was trying to be optimistic for you and Diego," she confessed. _

_Danny released her and stepped backwards until his knees hit the edge of the bed where he sat down. He looked at her and asked, "How could you hold back on me like that?"_

_She wrapped her arms around herself and replied, "I wanted to protect you." _

_He shook his head and angrily said, "I don't need you to protect me. I need you to tell me the truth! He's my son, too." _

"_I know that," she replied. "But my dad thought…"_

_He shot her a penetrating look. "Of course, your dad would tell you to keep me in the dark. He prefers it…"_

"_Danny, please don't start in on my dad again," she pleaded. She wiped the tears off her cheeks and knelt down before him to try another tactic. "What if the situation was reversed and Diego was missing? I know you wouldn't tell me everything if you thought it would upset me."_

"_I wouldn't lie to you," he rebuffed. _

"_Oh come on," she replied, shaking her head in disbelief. "You would only tell me what you thought I could handle, only what I needed to know. Don't pretend otherwise."_

"_And don't make up fake situations to justify your lying to me," he growled back. _

"_I wasn't lying to you…," she breathed out. "I was trying to give you hope. Diego needs for one of us to hope without question."_

"_And you don't have any hope?" Danny accused. _

"_What I'm saying is," Emma lowered her eyes and whispered, "that at the end of the day, hope is all we have left." _

_Emma went on to explain that the next step would most likely involved a more aggressive round of chemotherapy and then a bone marrow transplant from Mike. Confirming his fear that things were going to get worse before they could get better. _

XXX

Danny's cell phone rang, yanking him out of his thoughts. "Taylor."

"Hello, agent Taylor, this is Sharon from Videorama," the woman's voice announced. "You had asked me to call you if Arthur shows up to work."

Danny grabbed his notepad and stood up. "He called?"

"We have his final paycheck and he called to make sure it was ready. He said that he would come by in about an hour to pick it up."

"Great, thanks," Danny said as he stood up and glanced around for any of his team members but no one was around. "If he gets there before I do try and stall him there."

Once Sharon agreed he hung up and hurried to Martin's office. He saw him sitting at his desk reading a file so he rapped on the door before stepping inside. "Hey, I got a call from Arthur's work place. Can I steal someone to go out with me?"

"All my guys are out in the field on the other case but I'm free," Martin replied as she stood up and pulled his jacket off the back of his chair. "Did he go back to work?"

Danny explained Sharon's phone call as they walked to the elevator and finished, "Let's just keep our fingers crossed that she doesn't spook him and he takes off."


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

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Martin walked into the video store ahead of Danny and glanced around. A rack near the entrance was marked "Employee Recommendations" and he saw a label that read "Arthur's Picks." On the shelf sat all of Kelly's films, from her first feature length movie to her latest motion picture. Clearly Arthur's infatuation with Kelly had not subsided.

He heard a door creak and looked at the rear of the shop. He saw a young woman exiting the back room with a man who matched Arthur Wyndorf's description right down to his black frame glasses. He was talking animatedly to Sharon unaware that he was being observed. Martin gestured to Danny who nodded his head that he saw them as well. The two men split up, moving through different aisles lined with DVDs to where Arthur lingered.

As they both neared, Sharon eyed them and a look of panic crossed her face. Arthur noticed her expression change and spun around to see what she was looking at. The moment he saw them he turned back around and shoved Sharon out of his way as he sprinted into the room and out the back exit.

"He's running into the alley!" Martin shouted as he started chasing after him, deftly avoiding hitting Sharon again.

"I'll cut him off," Danny shouted back as he exited through the shop's front door to try and intercept him in the alley behind the building.

As Arthur ran down the cluttered alley he knocked things down behind him to try and slow Martin down but Martin was able to jump over a tumbled box and grab Arthur by the shoulders, knocking him down.

"Ouch!" Arthur yelped as Martin stuck in his knee on his lower back and pulled his arms behind him.

Danny came running up, panting heavily and asked, "What is it with you? Do you always have to show off by leaping on the guys you are chasing and knock them down?"

"I like to arrest people with flair," Martin replied with a laugh as he pulled Arthur up and shoved him against the alley's brick wall. He narrowed his eyes at the little man and said, "Why are you running Arthur? Is it because you know we are here about Monica?"

"I don't know what you are talking about," Arthur replied nervously.

Danny smirked at Martin and said, "How cute, he's trying to lie. What do you think? Should we play along?"

Martin studied Arthur for a beat before looking back at Danny. "I don't know. Do we have time?"

Danny tilted his head back and forth. "Actually no." He pulled a photo of Monica out of his jacket pocket and held in front of Arthur's face. "This is Monica DuBois. She look familiar?"

Arthur stared shock still at the photo before averting his eyes. "No."

"That's funny because everyone else thinks she look a hell of a lot like Kelly Grant and I know you know what she looks like since I've see all your recommendations in the video store," Martin said, leaning in close to Arthur's face. "And we have two eye witness' who say they saw you with her the night before she disappeared."

"I don't know her," Arthur lied. Badly.

"Oh, man, Arthur," Danny replied with a laugh. "Just stop lying to us."

"Where is she?" Martin pressed the small man, giving him a gentle shove. "The longer you pretend to not know her the worse things get for you."

The little man remained quiet, twitching nervously.

"What happened Arthur? You thought she was Kelly and when you realized she wasn't you flipped your lid?" Danny accused, poking the man's shoulder. "You hurt her, is that it?"

Arthur looked at the photo again and asked, "Her name really is Monica?"

Danny's eyes darted to Martin before replying, "Yes it is but I can understand how she can be confused with Kelly. She is her stand-in."

All of the color drained out of Arthur's face.

"Look you go it all wrong," Arthur replied, visibly squirming. "I did see her a few nights ago but I thought she was Kelly. I thought maybe she was lying because she was still afraid of me since the restraining order..." he trailed off, his voice cracking with nervousness.

"What happened after the incident in the cab?" Martin asked. He could see beads of sweat appear on Arthur's forehead and panic in his eyes.

"I just wanted to talk to Kelly – you have to believe I really thought she was Kelly – I wanted to explain that despite what her 'people' told her, I'm not a stalker…I'm just a fan," Arthur stammered out.

"And?" Martin pressed, getting irritated.

"I went to her apartment the next morning. I just wanted to apologize."

XXX

_Arthur was a block away from Kelly's apartment building holding a bouquet of wild flowers. He is wearing a suit two sizes too large for his frame trying to impress Kelly but the effect was more like a geek in high school on his way to ask the prom queen on a date. As he neared he saw Monica running in his direction. She was wearing her running gear complete with her iPod ear buds plugged in and playing loud music. She idly glanced around as she ran when she spotted him and stopped dead in her tracks. Their eyes meet and for a split second Arthur thought she was going to stop to talk to him when she quickly spun around and ran in the opposite direction. He tried to chase her and called out her name, "Kelly!" but for every step he took she just ran faster and disappeared into Central Park. _

_Arthur stared at her retreating back, a wounded look on his face. He turned back around and dumped the flowers in a nearby wastebasket before heading to his parked car. _

XXX

His expression darkened. "She ran in the other direction like I was some monster or something. After I came to her rescue the night before!"

"Then what happened?" Martin asked, glancing over at Danny who's worried expression mirrored his own.

"I was so mad at her! After everything I've done for her. I promote her movies, I buy tickets, I buy merchandise from her movies, and for what? So she can run away from me? She wouldn't be the movie star she is if it weren't for me! In all of her interviews she always says that 'she owes her fans' but when it comes down to it she runs in the opposite direction."

Both men realized that Arthur was still confusing Monica with Kelly while he talked but just played along, wanting the man to keep talking until he gave up Monica's whereabouts.

Danny got in Arthur's face and asked, "What happened?"

Arthur looked down at a crumpled up flyer on the pavement and said, "I got in my car to wait for her to come back…I just wanted to talk, to make Kelly understand…"

XXX

_Arthur sat in his parked car that looks like it has seen a lot of miles. It was still early in the morning so Kelly's street had a few people scattered about but mostly morning commuters who were set on getting to the office, catching a cab or hurrying to the train. A block down he sees a construction crew working on a broken water main. The workmen yell at each other to be heard above the jackhammer chipping away at the street that has been sectioned off by orange barrels and big diamond shaped sign that read, "Men at Work." He takes a sip of his Red Bull and sees Monica walking down the sidewalk past the construction, completely unnoticed by the busy workers. She looks sweaty and beat after a long run. He opens the car door but the moment she sees him she tries to duck out of his sight by stepping into an alley. _

_Being so blatantly avoided ignites something inside of him and he chases her into the alley. He sees her hovering at the brick walled dead end as she frantically scans around for some magical door to appear. "Kelly, why are you running from me? After everything I've done for you."_

"_Look, I told you, I'm not Kelly," Monica replied, shaking nervously as her eyes search the ground for anything that could be used as a weapon. "My name is Monica."_

_Arthur stares blankly back at her still unconvinced. "Why are you lying to me?!"_

_Down the street they hear a small explosion and the workmen from earlier begin frantically shouting orders. "SHUT DOWN THE MAIN VALVE! TAKE COVER! GET PEDRONCELLI OVER HERE!"_

_Arthur turned around, stunned by the sounds of chaos when Monica lunges for the broken broom handle. Arthur spins around to see Monica raise the piece of wood to hit him but he is able to use his left arm as a shield and snag the stick out of her hand with his right. _

"_You were going to hit me?" he shouted, his voice sounding small and faint in comparison to the sounds coming from the street. "Who in the hell do you think you are?"_

"_I told you, I'm not Kelly Grant. My name is Monica DuBois and I was born in Austin…"_

"_Stop lying to me, Kelly!" Arthur demanded. "I know who you are! I know everything about you!"_

_She stares back at him and decides to just stop trying to argue and just make a break for it. She tries to run past him, screaming, "Help! Help me!"_

_There is another sound of a pipe bursting on the street and a big whooshing sound as Arthur reaches out to grab her arm to stop her. She tries to yank free from his grip only to stumble back, hitting her head on the edge of the dumpster and passing out. _

"_Oh, no, Kelly," Arthur said as he knelt down by her side. He cradled her head in his lap and moved her hair back. He could see that she was still breathing, her chest rising and falling. He stares down, seeing the face he has worshiped from afar in his hands and makes a decision. He glances around to be certain no one heard them before carefully dragging her behind the dumpster. He lovingly removes his jacket, bundling it up and placing it carefully under her head. He kisses her forehead and whispers, "I'll be right back my love."_

_He stares down at her for another beat before standing up and running down the alley to get his car. _

XXX

"I was going to call for an ambulance but then I thought the police would start asking questions and she would get a restraining order and never give me a chance to make her understand."

"Where did you take her?" Martin asked, trying to sound sympathetic even though a bigger part of him wanted to shake Arthur to knock some sense in the man's warped mind.

"You have to understand, I really thought she was Kelly and just lying about being someone named Monica," Arthur tried to rationalize. "They look so much alike…"

Danny growled and grabbed Arthur by the collar, slamming him against the wall. "Damn it, where is she?!"

Arthur recoiled against Danny's fury and started sobbing. "She's at the condemned warehouse next to my apartment."

Danny released him and spun the man around to frisk him as he read him his rights while Martin pulled out his cell phone to call Samantha.

"Spade," she answered.

"Hey, it's me," he watched as Danny snapped the handcuffs on Arthur and replied, "We know where Monica is being held."


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

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Jack turned the car onto Arthur's street to look for the abandoned building where he told them he took Monica. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Sam checking her watch for the third time. "I'm driving as fast I can."

"Sorry, it's not that. I have to go to Grace's school for a meeting tonight," she replied as she surveyed the buildings on the street. She paused and shook her head, her lips curved up into a grin. "I am in the middle of an investigation to find an MP and I am worried about a meeting about my daughter's kindergarten play. She's going to be banana." She returned to scanning the area. "Sometimes I can't believe the things that come out of my mouth." She laughed and repeated, "My daughter's going to be a banana."

"Wait until Grace and Nate are teenagers," Jack replied as pulled the car up to the address Arthur gave to Martin and Danny. He unbuckled his seatbelt and said, "Then we'll talk about the things you can't believe you find yourself saying."

She groaned as they both exited the car. They walked up to the abandoned building and Jack pushed on the rusted door and it gave way very easily. He examined it and could see that it had been used recently. He stepped inside the building and it smelled like mold and dust. He glanced around and shouted, "Monica?!"

Sam stepped off into an adjacent room and looked around. "No sign of her in here."

They walked throughout the first floor in search of Monica. It would have been helpful if Arthur could have told them exactly which room he was holding her in but after her confessed that he did take her he had a panic attack and collapsed. Martin and Danny had to take him to the hospital to be checked out.

They heard movement at the front door and hurried towards it in time to see some NYPD officers had arrived to help with the rescue. He ordered them to check out the second and third floors while he and Sam would search the basement. Sam moved down ahead of him and started down the stairwell.

"Monica?" Sam shouted as she moved down the stairwell ahead of him. As Jack took a step he heard a faint tapping sound. "Monica?!" Sam called out again.

"Wait a minute," Jack ordered, straining to hear where the noise was coming from.

And then once again – there was a tap, tap sound coming from below.

This time Sam heard it too and she hurried down the steps. "She's down here."

Jack shouted for the NYPD to call for a paramedic and followed Sam to the basement. He found her searching the rows and rows of storage units that lined the basement. She opened door after door, as the tapping noise got a little louder.

Jack opened the fourth to the last door and swung it open to find where the tapping noise was coming from: Monica was tied to a bedpost with a tape over her mouth as she hit the brass bed frame with her feet over and over again. She stopped the moment she saw him and started frantically struggling against her ropes, a pleading look in her eyes. He walked up and started to untie her when Sam entered and shouted that they had found her.

He carefully peeled the tape off of Monica's mouth and said, "It's okay. We have you now."

The fear in her eyes morphed to relief followed by tears. She started crying and reached out to hug Jack as she sobbed. Sam hovered nearby and this familiar scene played out. He let Monica release her pent up anguish and watched as Samantha looked around the room.

The normally dank basement was filled with items that he could only guess Arthur thought would make the dingy room "homey." There were framed magazines that featured Kelly Grant on the cover, a vase filled with pink roses on a small table with a floral tablecloth, throw rugs lined the cement floor, there was a mini fridge next to the bed, and a floor lamp standing in the corner. It was clear that Arthur tried to make accommodations as comfortable as possible, every detail attended to - right down to the shiny brass bed that Monica was tied to.

Monica's crying finally subsided and she curled her limbs close to her and said, "He thought I was Kelly. I kept trying to tell him I wasn't her but he wouldn't listen…"

XXX

_Monica cracked an eye open and groggily surveyed her surroundings. The room was sparse and bare; the only thing in the room was the brass bed she was lying on. She was still wearing her running outfit but her shoes had been removed and the blood from the cut on her head cleaned up. Her head was aching so it took a quick beat before she realized that her mouth was covered with duct tape and she was tethered to the bed but the moment that it did, she panicked and started struggling against her bindings. Her breathing became labored as the gravity of the situation she was in kicked in and her anxiety increased. She tried screaming against the tape but it was of no use, the sound of her voice muffled against the tape. She quickly sat up and pressed her back against the brass headboard anxiously trying to loosen the ropes by twisting her wrists. She heard footsteps outside the door and she stopped what she was doing. She fixed her eyes on the door to brace herself for whatever may come. _

"_Oh good, you're awake," Arthur cheerily greeted her. He was holding a workbench and grunted as he dragged it inside. A sense of terror rose up in Monica at what he was going to do with it when he walked over and placed it next to the bed. "I was started to get worried, Kelly. You've been napping for almost five hours."_

_He reached over to where she sat and she scooted back, terrified of what he was going to do to her when he grabbed the pillow behind her. He fluffed the pillow and placed it behind her back. _

"_There," he declared with a self-satisfied expression on his face, "that should feel better." _

_She watched as she he disappeared out the doorway again and returned carrying a tray with a covered plate, a Red Bull, and a small bud vase holding a single pink rose. "I thought you might be hungry from all that exercise this morning so I brought you a cheeseburger, onion rings and a Red Bull." He set the tray down on the workbench and lifted the lid off of the plate. "In your US Weekly interview you mentioned that these were some of your favorite guilty treats."_

_Monica glanced at the food before looking back at him in disbelief. He was acting like he was her hostess at a private spa. _

_He picked up the cloth napkin and shook it out while glancing around the room. "I'm sorry the accommodations aren't very nice but your visit was quite unexpected." He laid the napkin on her lap. "I'm going to bring some things in later to try and warm the place up for you."_

_He sat down on the bed next to her and met her eyes. For the first time Monica recognized some sense of lucidness in him. _

"_I am going to take the tape off of your mouth so you can eat, Kelly," he said coolly. "but please be respectful of my trying my best to make you feel welcome."_

_She nodded her head as he reached over and tugged the tape off. She winced, the skin sore and raw. She worked her jaw as Arthur went about picking up her cheeseburger. She licked her lips and as calmly and casually as she could she asked, "Where am I?" _

_Arthur glanced around and smiled. "Oh, let's just call it 'Chateau de Wyndorf' and you are our most important guest." He placed the burger to her mouth and said, "Take a bite."_

_She took the smallest bite she could and chewed slowly. "How long am I going to be a guest?"_

_He grinned broadly and replied, "Kelly Grant is always welcome." _

_She smiled gently and softly asked, "But what if the guest isn't Kelly Grant. What if her name is Monica…"_

_Arthur jumped up to a standing position and slammed the burger back onto the plate. "Stop lying to me! This is never going to work as long as you keep lying!"_

"_But I'm not her!" Monica cried._

_Arthur angrily pressed his hand up against her mouth to silence her. "I said stop lying!" He reached over and grabbed the tape her removed earlier and placed it over her mouth, stifling her screams of protest. "I will only take the tape off when you don't tell lies!" _

_He picked up the tray and stormed out of the room leaving Monica alone with tears streaming down her face. _

XXX

"As long as I pretended to Kelly he was okay but whenever I brought it up he just go so mad," Monica finished between gasping sobs.

"We have him now," Jack consoled, gently rubbing Monica's back in fatherly comfort way. An EMT appeared and he carefully pulled out of Monica's embrace and said, "Monica we need for the EMT's to examine you, to make sure you are okay."

She nodded her head and wiped her moist cheeks with the palm of her hands.

He stood up and moved out of the EMT's way. He motioned for Sam to join him in the hallway and she said, "Sounds like Arthur has some trouble differing fantasy from reality."

"And when he finally had the chance to make his fantasy a reality he just snapped," Jack replied, peeking into the small room to see the EMTs examining her wrists. "The problem was that he was so caught up in the fantasy he refused to recognize the truth that staring him straight in the face."


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

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Martin flashed his badge to the attendant at the check-in desk so he could move past and get to the ER exam rooms. He glanced around and saw Sam standing in the hallway outside an exam room chatting with the ER doctor. She saw him approach and excused herself before walking up to him.

"Hey," she greeted him with an easy smile. "They said that Monica is going to be fine. She has a pretty nasty gash on the back of her head but Arthur actually did a pretty good job cleaning it up so there's no infection."

He craned his neck to look inside the exam room to see Monica on the bed as the physician stitched up her cut. "Well, that's the one consolation in this whole mess."

"Where's Danny?" she asked, glancing behind him.

"He went to see a man about a horse," Martin replied with a grin at his euphemism for Danny going to the restroom.

She ignored his lame pun and asked, "How's Arthur?"

"He was admitted to the Psych Ward for the next forty-eight hours." After Arthur's panic attack they had him brought to the hospital and he suffered what the psychiatrist called a "psychotic break." The collision of his fantasy world and real life proved too much for his fragile mind. Martin argued that Arthur couldn't be completely nuts if he was lucid enough to know to go pick up his paycheck to which the psychiatrist replied that Arthur only knew that he needed money to talk care of Kelly and that was completely rational in his mindset. "We have some NYPD standing guard."

"Martin?!" Kelly shouted.

He turned around to see her anxiously running up to where they stood when Sam whispered. "How did she find out so fast?"

"I called her," he replied. Sam narrowed her eyes at him and he could see the crease in her forehead indicating she was skeptical and he suddenly felt guilty but wasn't sure why. He knew he didn't do anything wrong. However, to be on the safe side he decided to play dumb and with earnest uncertainty he asked, "What? She's Monica's friend."

She shook her head and kept quiet as Kelly rushed up to them. She gave Sam an obligatory glance before asking Martin, "Where is Monica? Is she going to be okay?"

"She's going to be fine," he answered. He pointed to the exam room where Monica was laying on her side, her back to them. "She's in there."

Kelly looked at the open door but made no move to enter.

It was quite for a long beat as they waited for Kelly to go check on Monica but when she still hadn't done so, Sam cleared her throat and said, "I'm just going to head back to the office."

Kelly gave Sam a grateful smile. "Thank you for finding her."

"We were just doing our job," Sam replied with what Martin knew was forced smile. "I'm glad that Monica is going to be okay."

Kelly nodded and turned her attention back to Monica.

Martin stepped forward and said to Sam, "I'll see you back there. I'm going to wait for Danny to get back from the men's room."

"Okay, I'll see you there," she replied before stepping forward, cradling his head in her hands, pressing her lips to his and then proceeding to kiss him long and hard. When she finally pulled back she smiled at him and said, "Be good."

Her kiss may have been disguised as a gesture of affection but he knew she was really marking her territory. Well, it was better than her peeing on him. He grinned at her and said, "You don't have to worry about me."

She cocked an eyebrow at him, glanced at Kelly's back before nodding at him and walking to the elevator. He watched her saunter away with a big goofy grin on his face as he wondered how he could parlay her jealousy into getting some action with her later. He knew she had the school meeting tonight. Maybe he could get the kids to bed early and have a bottle of wine waiting for her when she gets home…

"What do I say to her?" Kelly asked softly, jarring Martin back to reality. He turned around to see Kelly's gaze still set on Monica. "What do I tell her? This whole thing is my fault…"

"It isn't your fault – it's Arthur Wyndorf's," he said with conviction. "You can't blame yourself for something that you couldn't possibly control."

Kelly frowned guiltily and shakily replied, "I should have told her about him. I should have included her in the restraining order…"

"Kel, stop it." He reached over and placed his hand on her shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze. "Before you start beating yourself up, why don't you go talk to her? See if she blames you for what happened because I don't think she will."

"And if she does?" Kelly asked.

"Well, then I'll drive you to Home Depot to get wood to build your cross."

"Thanks Martin," she replied. She looked back over at Monica and said, "Wish me luck," before walking towards the exam room.

He watched her enter the room where Monica held up her arms and pulled her into a hug. It was clear that Monica did not hold Kelly responsible for what happened.

"So no hard feelings?" Danny commented as he came to stand next to Martin, observing the scene in the exam room.

"Doesn't seem to be," Martin replied as he saw Kelly and Monica talking with tears on both their faces. He turned to his friend and said, "You ready to go?"

Danny nodded and the two men started to the elevator.

When they reached the elevator Danny hit the call button and said, "So, you and Kelly Grant, huh?"

He kept his gaze on the illuminated numbers above the elevator doors and simply said, "It was years ago before she was really famous."

It was quiet for a long beat when Danny stomped his feet, smacked him on the arm and said, "How in the hell could you not tell me?! I mean, come on!" He lowered his voice, to make sure no one was listening. "I mean you dated a movie star and you never even told me and I'm your best friend."

"I told you. It was a long time ago," Martin replied as the elevator arrived. "And when she and I dated you and I were barely civil to one another." He stepped back so a few people could exit before they boarded the lift. "Or don't you remember when you used to always give me a hard time? Calling me Fitzy or comparing me to a dog being punished?"

"Oh yeah," Danny replied as he pressed the button for the parking garage. As the doors slid closed he quipped, "But Martin, if you had told me you knew Kelly Grant I would have been whole lot nicer to you a whole lot sooner."


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

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Sam's heels clacked against the marble floors as she made her way to the schools auditorium. She saw several parents milling outside the theatre doors and when she glanced at her watch she realized she was actually five minutes earlier a proud smile crossed her face. She walked into the theatre and glanced around for a place to sit.

Normally she would insist that Martin come with her but since the car accident they had cut Frances' hours so that she would have more time for the physical therapy for her back. They didn't want to push her too hard too fast because they wanted her to heal so that the kids could count on her being around for a long time. So that meant they had to juggle responsibilities and tonight she got the play meeting and he was going to stay home with the kids.

She walked to the row of seats near the stage and spotted a familiar figure sitting alone. She shuffled her way past some sitting parents and said, "I didn't expect to see you here tonight."

Emma looked up at her and heavily sighed, "Mike and Diego are really determined to be in the play with their class and I am not about to tell them they can't." She moved her purse out of the seat next to her so Sam could sit down. "They need something to look forward to."

Sam nodded her head knowing what Emma was really saying but knowing this wasn't exactly the venue for a heart to heart she asked, "What are they performing?"

"They are performing with another class and each student is assigned a state and has to list three facts and dress up as a something related to their state," Emma explained. Sam noticed that her friend's eyes looked tired, puffy with dark circles underneath. "Diego got New Mexico and Mike got Florida." She shifted and smiled at Sam, "What about Grace?"

"The kindergartners are going to discuss the benefits of fruit," Sam replied, relaxing into her seat and glancing around to see some parents she recognized from the first day of school. "Grace is going to be a banana. She's very excited."

XXX

"_Mom! Dad!" Grace shouted as she ran towards her and Martin when they arrived home. "Guess what? I'm going to be a banana!"_

"_A banana?" Sam asked as she removed her jacket and handed it to Martin to hang up. _

_Grace bounced up happily like an overexcited puppy and hurriedly explained, "Yeah! We're going to do a play and I'm going to banana!" She handed Sam a piece of paper and continued, "And Sage is going to be a plum, Lauren is going to be a strawberry, Tobey is going to be grapes, Maya is going to be an orange, Chloe is going to be an apple, Andrew is going to be a blueberry…" _

"_I think we get the idea," Martin interrupted as he finished hanging up their coats. Sam knew that Grace would have been more than happy to list what every single kid in her class was going to be. He picked Gracie up and asked, "So does the banana have to say anything?"_

_The little girl nodded enthusiastically and carefully said, "Poh…tass…e…um."_

_Martin smiled at her proudly and said, "Potassium? Wow, that is such a big word. Miss Kennedy must really know you will do a great job." _

"_Uh-huh," she replied, beaming. She looked back and forth between them and continued, "And we're going to sing a song and do a dance but I haven't learned it yet. We are going to start practicing it later." _

"_This is great news, sweetie," Sam said as she leaned in and planted a big kiss on her daughter's cheeks. She studied the flyer from the school and saw that while the students would be rehearsing during school hours there would be three meetings in the evenings for the parents to discuss the reception as well as looking for any volunteers to help during the play. _

_She showed it to Martin and as he glanced at it Grace held up her cast and said, "Can we get a yellow ribbon for my cast so it will match my costume?"_

_Sam looked at her daughter's cast that was covered with kid's signatures in marker, grime from the playground and smudges she'd rather not think too much about and said, "Honey, your cast is going to be off by then. The play is still two months away and your cast comes off next week." _

"_Oh," Grace replied sounding disappointed. "Oh-kay."_

_While Sam knew Grace was bummed that her cast – her centerpiece for attention – was coming off it wasn't a moment too soon for her and Martin. Trying to keep a cast clean on a five-year old was incredibly difficult, not to mention the countless times she would knock Nate with it while they were playing. Yup, as far as she was concerned, good riddance to the thing. But seeing her daughter's sad face she said, "But maybe you can wear some long yellow gloves as part of your costume. How about that?" _

"_Yeah!" Grace replied, a big grin on her face that matched Martin's. _

_He put Grace down and started ushering her to the kitchen. "I don't know about you guys but all this talk about fruit has made me hungry."_

XXX

"Gracie sure is a bundle of energy," Emma replied after hearing the story.

"You don't have to tell me," Sam said with a laugh when Leslie Warner walked onto the stage and asked everyone to take a seat.

Once everyone was seated she started reviewing what each class was going to perform before moving on to discuss who will be providing snacks for the reception. She smiled at the crowd from behind the podium, her hair perfectly coiffed and wearing her ubiquitous pearl necklace, "So who would like to be the first to volunteer to bring something?"

From the back, a woman announced, "I can bring cupcakes."

Sam looked over to see Andrea Brown standing eagerly a few rows over. She was a short, plump woman with dark hair and a sunny smile. Sam didn't know her very well but Grace was always chatting about her daughter, Sage, who was quite popular among the kindergartners because of her ability to do a cartwheel.

"Now, I thought you understood that we only want wholesome, nutritious food." Leslie gave a condescending smile and said, "We don't want out kids to be chubby little sugar addicts do we Andrea? It may not be an issue for you but I think myself and other others would agree…"

Sam felt a surge of anger rise up in her at seeing Leslie publicly embarrass and attack Andrea when suddenly Emma stood up next to her and declared, "Life is short. I say we let the kids enjoy the treat."

Leslie turned her attention to Emma and coolly said, "And I happen to think that giving our kids loads of sugar is the way to guarantee that their life will be shorter. Are you aware of the growing number of children with diabetes, attention deficit, morbid obesity…"

Emma shook her head and from where Sam sat she could feel the waves of frustration rolling off of her. "I'm not saying we should replace their breakfast, lunch and dinner with Ding Dongs and soda pop but the play is a special occasion. I don't see the harm…"

"Mrs. Taylor…" Leslie interrupted with a scowl.

"Dr. Taylor," Emma quickly corrected.

Leslie stared at Emma, a mortified look on her face, and said, "Dr. Taylor, while I appreciate your situation, perhaps you are not looking at the situation clearly."

Sam recognized the low blow by Leslie at making a subtle reference to Diego's illness. Not able to stand it a moment longer Sam stood up, shoulder to shoulder with Emma and said, "I think we should put it to a vote." She glanced around the room and said, "Who else here thinks that we should let the kids have sweets for the play's reception?"

Emma and Sam raised their hands high in the air and slowly, one by one, they watched as other hands flew up. The both looked back at Leslie and said, "I think it's a landslide."

With a frown on her face, Leslie conceded defeat and said, "Fine, we'll have cupcakes." She tossed Andrea a dirty look as other parents stood up and to announce what treats they would be bringing.

Sam sat down feeling victorious and whispered to Emma, "And I thought it was going to be another boring meeting."

"Yeah," Emma mumbled before quickly excusing herself as she grabbed her purse and jacket and exited the auditorium.

Sam stood up and followed her out in time to see Emma heading into the girls restroom. She walked to the door and pushed it open, heading inside.

She found Emma pacing the small room lined with stalls on the right and sinks on the left. The sinks were designed for elementary age kids and were low to the ground for easy access but made Sam feel inordinately tall. She looked over at her nerve-wracked friend who was fumbling through her purse. "So comrade, what is next in our revolution against the president?"

Emma pulled out a small carton that Sam immediately recognized as Marlboro lights and replied, "Thanks for your help. I just couldn't take another minute of listening to that Stepford drone."

She pulled a cigarette out of the box and lit it up.

Sam watched as her normally super health conscious friend smoked. "You don't have to tell me. I usually tune her out and make mental lists of things I have to do or new bureau regulations," she walked up and wordlessly took the cigarette from Emma, taking a drag. "I just came in to say that you are my hero."

Emma shook her head and as Sam handed her back the cigarette. "I'm nobodies hero."

Sam folded her arms across her chest as she blew out a stream of smoke. "You know you can talk to me – about anything."

Emma stared at the lit cigarette and said, "My son has cancer and here I am hiding in the girls bathroom smoking." She lowered her head and whispered, "It's official. I'm not only a crappy doctor but a crappy mom, too."

"Don't say that," Sam replied, staring sadly at her friend.

"Why not? I am? If I was a good doctor I would have noticed Diego's symptoms a lot sooner. He was the first one to get sick last time and the last one to get better. He and Mike were wrestling and he got a bruise on his shoulder but I didn't notice how long it took to heal…" Emma's voice was hard and bitter. "It's my fault that he is so sick. If I had caught it sooner than he could have started treatment earlier and then he and Mike wouldn't have to go through the bone marrow donation…" She placed the heels of her hands on her eyelids and said, "It's all my fault."

Sam walked up to her friend and pulled her into a hug. She felt Emma go slack in her arms. "You need to stop blaming yourself. It's nobodies fault and I can say for a fact that Danny and the kids don't think you could have done anything to prevent it."

"I'm just so tired," Emma replied raggedly, her voice cracking. "I can feel Danny pulling away but I am just too tired to try and stop him. All my energy is focused on taking care of Diego and making sure that Mike and Eli don't feel neglected that by the end of the day I don't have anything left to give."

"I can't imagine what you must be feeling right now," Sam began, her heart breaking for the normally strong willed woman in such a state of emotional vulnerability. "But I do know that you and Danny and the kids are all going to get through this and come out stronger than ever."

Emma laughed into her shoulder and asked, "And how can you be sure?"

"Because it's the only possible outcome," Sam replied with fierce determination.

They heard the door the restroom creak open and both looked over to see Andrea standing in the doorway. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt."

"Its okay, come on in," Emma replied as she moved back. She gave Sam a grateful smile and carefully wiped the tears from her eyes.

Andrea hesitated, then stepped inside saying, "I just wanted to say thank you for standing up to Leslie."

"Thanks aren't necessary," Sam replied as Emma took a long drag of the cigarette. "She was out of line in what she said to you."

Andrea nervously moved in further and said, "She's been president of the PTA for years and no one has ever stood up to her before."

Emma met Sam's eyes and smiled before turning to Andrea, "Yeah, well, she better watch out. We're rebels ready to fight the good fight."

Sam laughed as Emma held out the cigarette and asked Andrea if she wanted some but the woman politely declined. Sam, however, took the cigarette and took a long inhalation. While she quit smoking so many years ago, it felt quite natural to hold one in between her fingertips.

Andrea laughed nervously as she glanced around and said, "It's so weird. I feel like I am back in high school hanging out with the cool girls smoking in the bathroom."

"I wasn't cool in high school. I was a geek." Sam handed the cigarette back to Emma. "But I agree, there is something familiar about smoking in the girls room."

"I just wanted to please my parents when I was in high school," Emma contributed. "I was a cheerleader, class president, debate team…all of that stuff." She looked Sam and Andrea and said, "But I still stole some of my mom's cigarettes and would climb out on my roof at night to smoke."

"Ah, good girl who wanted to be bad," Sam said with a wink.

Emma smiled and bent down to check her reflection in the mirror. With a sigh of reluctant acceptance and said, "I guess we should head back inside."

"You're right. It might be a good idea to find out some details about the kid's play," Sam replied as she finished the cigarette and tossed the bud into the toilet and flushed it down.

Andrea watched, as they got ready to exit. "Can I ask you guys something?"

"Sure," Emma replied as she picked up her purse and jacket.

"What do you tell Leslie and the other moms when they keep telling you that when you're a failure because you don't make home cooked meals for your husband?"

Emma grunted angrily and said, "I swear, I think Leslie and the other stepfords are stuck in 1950."

"Oh, ladies, it's a really easy answer. Just tell them that you are too busy having sex with your husband to bother cooking," Sam sarcastically replied as she walked to the door. Over her shoulder she added, "And that he seems perfectly happy with that arrangement."

She heard Andrea and Emma laughing as they followed her out.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

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"Pizza's here! Come and get it while it's hot!" Danny shouted down the hall towards Grace and Nate's bedrooms where the kids were playing. He carried the boxes to the dining room table where Martin was putting out glasses of juice for the kids and cans of soda for them while chatting on his cell phone with Sam.

"No really, I don't mind, I think it's a great idea," Martin said as he walked into the kitchen to grab some napkins. When he stepped back out he said, "Have fun. I love you, bye." He handed Danny the cell phone. "Your turn."

Danny looked at Martin questioningly as he took the phone. "Hello?"

"Hey babe," Emma said and he could hear the sounds of traffic in the background. "Sam and I are going out grab a drink after the meeting so I'm going to be home a little late. I hope that's alright."

Danny smiled at the rhetorical question. "If course it's alright. I'll see you later."

"Great," she replied sounding happier than he had heard her in quite awhile. He hoped that a girl's night out was just what the doctor ordered. "Goodbye, I love you."

"I love you too," he replied as she hung up. He pressed the end button and tossed the boxes onto the table and asked, "So it looks like it is officially a boy's night."

"Hey!" Grace protested as she took a seat at the table. "I'm not a boy!"

"Sorry," Danny apologized. "It's officially six boys and a lady night."

She nodded her head looking properly vindicated and reached over to grab a slice of cheese pizza as the Diego, Mike, Eli and Nate all rushed the table at the same time, grabbing and jostling each other.

"Settle down," Danny ordered. "You're children not a pack of wolves."

"It's a fine line," Martin softly said as he sat down and served himself a slice.

Once everyone was settled and happily eating, the conversation turned to the kids' plays. Grace gleefully shared her plans to wow everyone as a banana while Diego started to complain that he was stuck with New Mexico.

"It's like one of the most boring states! They don't even have an ocean!" Diego whined as he picked at his slice. Danny noticed that most of his son's pizza was untouched.

"I got Florida," Mike bragged as he peeled a slice of pepperoni off his pizza and popped it into his mouth. "I'm going to talk about all the Cuban's who helped settle the area, right dad?"

Danny smiled at his son. "That's right, we take pride in our heritage."

"You're so lucky," Diego said, pouting.

Martin held up his hands and said, "Diego! You are the lucky one! You got one of the most important states in U.S. history," he paused and dramatically added, "maybe even in the history of the world."

"Huh?" Diego asked, skeptically raising an eyebrow.

"Roswell, New Mexico!" Martin declared with a big grin. "You get to talk about the alien spaceship crash of 1947."

Danny stared at his dorky friend as he proceeded to lecture all of the kids on the government conspiracy to cover up the alien invasion, Reticulans, alien autopsies, _The X-Files_, and other stuff only a science fiction geek could possibly know. While he believed it was just some ridiculous legend, it pleased him to see his son staring at Martin with great interest and excitedly discussing the possibilities for his presentation.

"I can dress up as a man in black," Diego announced. "I still have my suit from my First Communion and I can wear black sunglasses."

"That would look cool," Eli mumbled while eating his pizza.

"Yeah," Nate contributed as he chomped on his pizza crust.

Mike jumped off his chair and stood next to his twin, running his hand over his brother's hair and said, "And we can use dad's gel to slick your hair back so you looking really tough." But when Mike pulled his hand back there was a big clump of dark hair stuck between his fingers. He stared at the hair looking stunned.

Suddenly everyone went quiet, waiting to see what was going to happen next, to see how Diego would react. With all eyes on Diego, he carefully plucked the hair from his brother's hand and examined it. He wordlessly brought his hand up to his head to try and locate where the hair might have fallen out.

Danny quickly stood up and walked around where his son was sitting. He knelt down next to him and looked into his scared big brown eyes. "Its okay, mijo. Remember when mom talked to you about the possibility that you might lose your hair from the chemotherapy?"

Diego nodded.

Danny pulled his son into a hug and said, "It's okay, it's normal for a lot of people going through treatment."

Mike tapped him on the shoulder and asked, "Didn't you say that if he did lose his hair that we were all going to shave our heads?"

He smiled up at his other son. "Yeah, we did." He pulled back and looked back and forth between his two sons. "So, what do you think? Still want to take control and do it ourselves?"

Diego looked down at the hair in his hand, then at his brother who was nodded at him encouragingly and said, "Let's do it."

"That's my boys," he stood up and looked at Martin, "Do you have clippers?"

Martin tossed his napkin on the table before heading to the bathroom. "Follow me!"

Everyone scrambled after Martin, eagerly anticipating what was about to come. Grace caught up to Martin and asked, "Can I do it? I know how to cut my doll's hair."

"Sorry, honey," Martin replied as they all crammed into the bathroom. "I think it's best if me and uncle Danny do it." He opened up a cabinet and pulled out a small black bag. "Who's going first?"

"I am," Diego announced as he stepped over. He looked at Danny and said, "I'm taking control, right dad?"

His heart swelled with love and pride in his son's strength. "Yes you are."

"Wait a minute!" Grace shouted. All the boys turned to look at her as she said, "Let's do this the right way." She grabbed Nate's hand and they ran out of the bathroom. Danny looked questioningly at Martin who just shrugged and glanced after his kids. A few minutes later, Grace came back dragging a stool and holding a towel while Nate held a stack of magazines in his arms.

Danny took the stool from her and she ordered him to place it in front of the mirror. She waved Diego over. "Please have a seat."

Diego looked curiously at the little girl but did as he was told. She wrapped the towel around his neck and said, "Your hairdresser today will be my dad." She smiled at him and then took the magazines from Nate, handing them out. "As for the rest of you, please enjoy these magazines while you wait. Can I get anyone something to drink?"

Martin laughed at his daughter and said, "Thank you honey. Can I have a can of soda?"

After the other boys gave her their drink requests she sprinted down the hall to get their orders.

Once she was gone, Martin looked at Danny and said, "She spends way too much time with Sam at the hairdressers."

He clicked on his clippers when Danny reached out and took them. Martin nodding, understanding that he should be the one to do this for his son. He went to stand behind Diego, their eyes meeting in the mirror. "You ready mijo?"

"Yup," the boy replied nodding his head with confidence.

Danny carefully began shaving off his son's hair, clumps falling onto his shoulder before hitting the floor. It only took a few minutes before all of his hair was gone. When he was done, he watched as Diego studied his reflection in the mirror.

Diego looked at him and said, "It looks pretty good."

Mike walked up and ran his hand over his brother's smooth head and said, "Oh, man D! I know what you can dress up as for the play! Forget Men in Black, you can be an alien!"

Everyone laughed.

After the boys finished admiring Diego's hair, Danny did Mike and Eli's hair, and then handed the clippers over to Martin to do his. Once his hair was done he stood up and brushed off the small loose hairs on his neck and shoulder.

He started to clean up when Martin stopped him and said, "Wait a minute, we're not done yet. You still have to cut mine and Nate's."

"You sure?" he asked, even though he knew what the answer would be.

"Family sticks together right?" Martin replied as he handed the clippers to him and sat down on the stool. He smiled at Danny in the mirror and said, "Get to it brother."


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

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Jack loosened his tie as he walked into the apartment. "Explain to me again why we had to go to that dinner?"

Elaine closed the door behind him and kicked off her high heels. "Because he's a newly appointed judge. I'd like to get on his good side before I have to face off with him in court."

"Isn't that unethical?" he asked as he wandered over to the sofa and sat down, propping his feet up on the coffee table. "Making nice so he can rule in your favor."

Elaine smiled and stood behind the sofa, leaning down to wrap her arms around his neck. She kissed him on the temple and said, "If he only rules in my favor because I was nice to him then he is the unethical one. I just want him to think I am worthy of being given a fair shot."

"Touche," he replied, placing his hand on her forearm.

"I'm going to get a glass of wine," she murmured in his ear. "Can I get one for you, too?"

He smiled. "I'd like that."

She wandered into the kitchen and he could hear her moving around, the sound of a cabinet door being opened and glasses clinking.

Jack leaned his head back and closed his eyes when his cell phone started ringing. He groaned, worried that it was work but when he glanced at the caller ID he smiled and answered, "Hello sweetheart."

"Hey dad," Hanna replied, her voice sounding upbeat. "What are you up to tonight?"

"Elaine and I just got back from a boring lawyer dinner," he replied with his usual mix of humor and cynicism. "What about you?"

"I'm doing great. I have some news," she said enthusiastically. "I just got a call from a friend from college who is curator at a gallery in the SoHo. She said that her boss loved my photos and has offered me my own show."

Elaine walked back into the living room with a bottle of wine and two glasses. She looked at him and he mouthed, "Hanna" before replying, "That's great. Does that mean you will be coming up to New York?"

"Actually that's why I called. I am going to be there to help with the installation and maybe do some press for the show so I thought maybe I would spend a couple of months in the city," Hanna replied. He could feel his heart thump excitedly in his chest at the thought that both his daughters would be in the city for more than just a week. "Kate said I could stay with her but her apartment is small and she has the roommates so I was wondering if I could stay with you and Elaine. I promise I won't be any trouble…"

"Hanna you are always welcome to stay here," he said without hesitation. "It's your home, too."

"Thanks dad," she replied, sounding relieved. "I was hoping that it would be okay. I'll let you know as soon as we have the dates set so we can plan."

"Just make sure you schedule some time to hang out with your old man," he joked as he watched Elaine fill both their glasses before handing one to him.

"You bet," she replied earnestly. "I better go. There's so much to do! Give Elaine my love and thanks again, dad."

"Goodnight Hanna," he replied softly. "I love you."

"I love you too dad," she said before hanging up.

Elaine sat down next to him and sipped her wine. "How's Hanna?"

He wrapped his arm around Elaine's shoulder and told her about Hanna's plans. Elaine got really excited and started talking about how they should redecorate the guest room before she arrived. Jack just sat back and smiled appreciating how good his personal life has been since Elaine came into his life. Marrying her was the smartest thing he had ever done.

XXX

"_Dad, your tie is crooked," a teenage Hanna ordered as she adjusted it for him. "Stop fidgeting."_

_He smiled at her and said, "Maybe I like my tie crooked."_

_She rolled her eyes at him while Kate just snickered from where she sat on the bed watching them. Hanna stepped back to survey her work and said, "There. I think you're all set."_

_He walked over and examined his reflection in the mirror. "Nice work."_

_He turned around to look at his girls dressed in beautiful floral dresses and said, "So, are we ready to head to the courthouse?" _

"_I am," Kate announced as she bounced off the bed and grabbed her bouquet from the box on the dresser. Hanna followed her and accepted the bunch of flowers that her little sister shoved in her hand. _

_The girls moved to the door when he said, "Wait a second, I want to talk to you first." He motioned for them to come sit by him at the foot of the bed. "Before we do this I just want to make sure you guys are still okay with my marrying Elaine."_

"_Speak now or forever hold your peace," Hanna said knowingly. "Isn't that what they say at weddings?"_

"_Yes it is," he replied, meeting his older daughter's eyes. While Kate did not conceal her affection for Elaine – in fact, the two of them had forged a great affinity for one another – as usual, Hanna was the more difficult daughter to read. When he told them that he and Elaine were getting married they seemed excited by the idea but he still needed to make certain. "So, it's now or never. If either of you has an opinion about this I want you to tell me know so we can discuss it." _

"_I want you to get married," Kate declared as she played with the ribbon on her bouquet. _

_Hanna was quiet for a long beat so Jack leaned in and asked, "Hanna?"_

_She sighed and looked up at him. "I like her, too. She's really nice and she makes you happy but…"_

"_But?" he pressed. _

"_But it's just hard to know that now it's official that both you and mom are never going to get back together."_

_Jack hugged his daughter close knowing that even after all these years, even after Maria herself had gotten remarried, that his daughter still held out some hope for her parents to reconcile. "I know it's hard, sweetie, but I love Elaine very much and I want her to be a part of our family. She will never take the place of your mom just like Roger will never take my place. It just means that now there will be more people who love the two of you." _

"_I know," she replied with a small smile. "I'm glad that you are happy dad. She's good for you and she's really nice."_

_He kissed her forehead. "So, you okay with me getting married today?"_

"_Yes," she replied with a small laugh before promptly standing up. "But if we don't leave now we are going to be late and you can't be late to your own wedding."_

"_Yes, ma'am," he said as he stood up and followed his daughter's out. _


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20 – NC17

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"You hate it," Martin commented to Sam, who was sprawled on top of him staring at his hairless head.

When she arrived home she found Martin lounging on the bed, drinking wine and watching _Sports Center_ looking very sexy and very bald.

Shaking her head she replied, "No, it's just going to take some getting used to." She tenderly ran her hands over his head and said, "I just miss the feel of your hair running through my fingers." While the truth of the matter was she did hate it, she loved his reasons for doing it. Grinning mischievously she added, "Plus, I never knew your skull was so lumpy.

"It's not lumpy," he said, feigning hurt before playfully rolling them over so he was on top and kissing her. "And you taste like rum and cigarettes."

She smiled up at him, enjoying the feel of his weight on her. "Does it bother you that I was smoking?"

"That depends," he replied, reaching up to move an errant strand from her face. "Was it just because you were having fun with Emma or are you picking up your old habit?"

She looked up at him as she ran her hands delicately up and down his arms. "Emma was smoking because she has been stressed lately so I decided to join her. It's not going to be a regular thing."

He nodded his head knowingly before leaning down and murmuring, "Well, since it's not going to be a regular thing I think it makes you seem dangerous," he pressed his lips to hers and between kisses whispered, "and incredibly sexy."

Her entire body became aroused with each kiss, each taste of him on her tongue. His lips became hot and demanding on hers that made her entire body hot and liquid beneath his. He started planting kisses on her jawline before moving down her neck. She missed this. She missed touching her husband this way and him touching her. She felt a sudden urgency, she needed to feel his skin on hers so she reached down and tugged frantically on his jeans. He wordlessly stopped what he was doing and quickly slid them off, stripping his shirt in the process before reaching for her clothes. She pulled off her shirt and bra as he yanked off her slacks. He did it so fast that she had to laugh at his eagerness. "Excited?"

He tossed her pants over his shoulder and moved back on top of her. "I'm always excited to get you out of our pants."

She smiled up at him and pulled his head down to hers so she could kiss him, his mouth hot on hers. He pulled back and started trailing kisses down her collarbone as he rubbed his thumb over the tip of one of her breasts while taking her other in his mouth. She purred with pleasure, arching her back as his tongue gently suckled on her nipple.

He slid between her legs and his penis was firm and rigid as he entered her. She moaned with pleasure as he filled her up, every one of her senses assaulted with desire. Her hips surged upward, an ache of pleasure pulsing through her with each push of his hips. He stopped and reached down to lift her thighs over his shoulders. She met his eyes, his pupils wide with arousal as he penetrated her deep and hard.

She put one hand above her, bracing herself with the headboard while the other hand gripped his shoulder, digging her nails into his flesh. Each thrust was slow and purposeful, leaving her wanting him more and deeper. His pace increased until she was bucking against him, her murmurs of encouragement and appreciation propelling him forward until suddenly her entire body was shaking with passion. She writhed in his arms as the orgasm overtook her. He released a guttural moan before collapsing on top of her.

Her limbs were weak and satiated as she ran her hands over his back. They both lay there as their breathing steadied out. Martin leaned up and she smiled at him before kissing him on the mouth. "I love you," she said softly.

He smiled back at her and said, "I love you," before rolling over and yelping, "Augh!"

Sam sat up and looked over at him to see what was wrong as he reached under the covers and pulled out one of Gracie's Barbie dolls. With a pained look on his face he said, "Ugh, this damn thing stabbed me in the ass."

She took it from him and asked, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine." He lay back down and said, "Two inches over and we would have had to call a proctologist."

She laughed and lay back down. She snuggled up against him, her head resting on his shoulder. She held up the doll and said, "She must have left it in the bed this morning when she was getting ready for school."

"Why do they have to make those damn limbs of hers so hard?" he said with a grimace before drawing her into his arms.

She tossed the doll onto the nightstand and settled against him. She released a soft sigh, remembering that long before kids, work, life became the number one topic of conversation, they used to use their post-coital time to share a little bit of themselves. To tell each other things the other didn't know. She suddenly wanted to reclaim that feeling so she softly said, "Did I ever tell you that I used to believe that I made my friend Linda gay because of how we played dolls?"

He shifted under her so he could look her in the eyes and said, "No you didn't."

She smiled up at him, suddenly realizing how much she missed this time with him. "When I was a kid, I would go play with a girl down the street named Linda Jensen. She was an only child and her parents had some money so they would buy her everything a little girl could want. Canopy bed with the lace trim and little lavender rosebuds, loads of stuffed animals, clothes and just about all the Barbie dolls you can imagine complete with the dream house and pink corvette."

He ran his hand over her back, fingertips grazing skin, sending a tingling sensation through her body. "It sounds like my sisters' rooms when they were kids."

"Yeah," she replied before continuing, "So Bridget and I would always go over to play dolls. But for some reason, I still don't know why, we would always make her be Ken. It wasn't even a question. We would just assign roles, Bridget and I would pick a Barbie and Linda would have to be one of our husbands or boyfriend or whatever.

"I know it seems silly, I mean we were seven years old so we never discussed our sexual identity or anything but when Linda announced in high school that she was gay I just suddenly flashed back to us playing dolls and wondered if by forcing her to be Ken made her gay." She shifted so she was lay on her side, propped up by her elbow. Martin was watching her carefully and she finished, "She never protested or tried to fight us claiming she wanted to be Barbie. She always seemed perfectly fine being Ken so maybe on some level she knew something we didn't. I know better now, of course, but at the time I felt really guilty about it."

Martin smiled at her but didn't say anything.

"What?" she asked with a grin. "What are you thinking?"

"I was just thinking that even after all these years that there is still so much I don't know about you," he tilted his head so he could kiss her. "It's just nice to learn something new."

She grinned wickedly and said, "Yeah, we are both learning new things. You now know about how I thought I turned my elementary friend gay and I learned that you used to sleep with a movie star…"

He started laughing and pulled her on top of him. "Sam, she may be a movie star but it's you I love."

"You better," she said as she kissed him.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

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"I'm hoping to join the bureau someday and I would like to ask what you think we should take away today," a student asked. Vivian looked up at one of her student, Randi, a thoughtful young woman with short brown hair and wide inquisitive eyes. "What is the most important thing an investigator can do?"

Jack smiled up from where he stood behind the podium. So far his stint as a guest speaker in her class was a huge success. Not only did she have perfect attendance, there were several other students who wanted to sit-in for the guest lecture. She was sure it had a great deal to do with the fact that she often used cases she worked with him as examples during class.

Jack cleared his throat and replied, "That's easy: ask a question. In my years as an agent I have found that asking even the most simple question, the sort that friends or family of the MP would not have thought was of any significance, can be the key in breaking a case. Asking questions like: when did you first notice a change in the MP's behavior? Who is your son or daughter's best friend? Does he or she have a boyfriend? How long ago did they break up? Have they been doing anything out of the ordinary lately? It's not always the question of where they were last seen. I have often found that there is a series of events that lead up to someone's disappearance."

Viv scanned her class to see the thoughtful faces of her students as they listened intently as Jack spoke. This was the part of teaching that she enjoyed. Being able to share something with her students that they didn't know and see them eagerly absorb the information. She checked her watch and saw that class time was almost over so she stood up and walked up next to Jack announcing, "We only have five more minutes, are there any more questions for Agent Malone?"

Several hands flew up in the air, eager students wanting to ask Jack a few more questions. She tossed him a smile before glancing around to decide whom to call on. She spotted Henry, Marcus' graduate assistant among the crowd. He was not in her class but he asked if he could sit-in so he could hear Jack talk. He met her eyes, his hand raised high.

"Henry, what would you like to ask Agent Malone?"

Henry stood up and adjusted his glasses, pushing them up with his index finger. "Agent Malone, I have a two part question. You mentioned that you used to work violent crimes before transferring to missing persons. I was wondering if one division had a higher solve rate than the other and why do you think that is?"

Henry sat down as Jack considered the question.

"I afraid I can't speak the bureau statistics as a whole but as far as my own personal experience, I have found that there is a higher solve rate in violent crimes." He braced the podium with both hands. "As to why, well there are a number of factors. As a whole, people go missing in greater numbers than those involved in a violent crime. That is partly because of teenage runaways, child abductions by a molester, kidnappers or a parent involved in a custody battle, people who just want to leave their life, or a number of other reasons. Also, in the case of an MP, there often isn't as much evidence left behind to work with whereas in violent crimes there is usually a crime scene or a body left to be examined." Jack scanned the crowded classroom with a serious penetrating gaze and finished, "That said, when it comes to finding a missing person – we never stop looking. Never." When he was done talking he nodded his head and said, "Thank you."

Jack stepped back from the podium as the room erupted in applause. Viv announced that the class was dismissed and the students started gathering their things or just lingered to discuss what Jack talked about. Viv watched as her more ambitious and eager students hung back trying to get a chance to talk to Jack one-on-one. She picked up her own book bag and placed some of her handouts in a folder when Henry walked up.

"Hi Vivian," he greeted her with his shy smile. "Thanks for letting me sit in."

"No problem," she replied as she clasped her bag shut. "I had no idea you would be interested in criminology. I thought all you of you in the English Department preferred attending guest lectures by writers and poets."

He laughed softly. "While I can't speak for Marcus, I find these types of talks fascinating. They are really informative and helpful research."

"Really? Are you thinking of writing a crime novel?"

"Something like that," he replied with a sheepish smile. He slung his backpack over his shoulder and said, "I better go. I have to finish grading the papers for Marcus' creative writing class and you know he doesn't like them late."

"Oh, believe me I know," she replied as Marcus gave her small goodbye wave before walking out.

Vivian looked over to see Jack speaking with Randi and decided that she better rescue him before the ardent young woman.

"I've read that while the academy accepts about thirty two students a session and about ten percent fail. Is that correct?" Randi asked, her eyes fixed on Jack.

Jack sat back on one of the desks and folded his arms across his chest. "That sounds about right."

Viv stepped up and pat Jack on the back saying, "We better get going or we're going to be late for our lunch reservation." While they were supposed to have lunch there was so reservation but she couldn't think of any other way to extract Jack from Randi's seemingly endless list of questions. She knew well enough, she had been on the receiving end of Randi's compulsive inquiries.

Thankfully, Jack played along. "Oh, yeah." He looked at Randi and reached out to shake her hand. "Well, it was nice meeting you, Randi. Good luck in your future endeavors."

Randi gave him a beatific grin and replied, "No, thank you for all your advice Agent Malone." She picked up her notebook and as she started to the door she added, "I'll see on Thursday Professor Johnson. Bye."

"Goodbye, Randi," Viv replied as she watched the girl walk out. She turned to look at Jack and said, "Thanks again for doing this, the students really seemed to respond to you."

"Well, I am a charismatic guy," he deadpanned.

"Before you go all rock star on me, maybe you can teach a class after you retire," she said as they moved to the door.

"Do me a favor and don't say the word retirement around Elaine," he replied as he held the door open for her. "She's been bringing it up more and more."

"Well, you are getting old," she teased. "And teaching is something to think about because you and I both know that you are not going to be that guy who just fishes or builds model boats in bottles."

He gave her one of his self-deprecating smirks. "I was thinking I would be the old guy who hangs out in the park feeding the pigeons and complains about everything."

"That's actually a pretty good plan," she quipped. "You'd be great at that."

xxxxxxxxxx

A/N: This should be the last update for the weekend. I'll post again tomorrow night.

Thanks for reading!


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

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_A month later…_

Danny pulled the car to a stop at the light. He picked up his travel mug and took a long drink of his coffee, catching his face in the rearview mirror. His very short hair was spikey, pointing in all directions as it was just beginning to grow back out. All of the boys kept shaving their hair until Diego's finally started growing back which had begun last week. Which was fortunate, he was getting tired of people comparing his bald head and big ears to Dopey from _Snow White and the Seven Dwarves_. He had never been so self-conscious about the size of his ears in his life.

He put his cup back in the holder and glanced around. There were only a few cars on the street at this hour of the morning and the sun was just beginning to make an appearance. It seemed that since Diego got sick the family spent more time traveling to and from the hospital. He still couldn't figure out why it was so necessary to have some tests run at such an early but, alas, here they were, on their way to Diego's seven a.m. MRI.

From the passenger seat Emma yawned, covering her mouth with the back of her hand. She took a sip of her own coffee and said, "I haven't functioned on this little sleep since I was in medical school."

"What about when the twins were born?" he asked.

"At least when we finally got them to sleep we could sleep ourselves," she replied with a wistful smile on her face as she looked at Diego dozing in the backseat and said, "Now all we do is go from appointment to appointment…"

"To appointment," Danny finished.

"Yeah," she breathed out before squaring her shoulders. "But this is our life, right?"

"Right," he replied, looking in the other direction. On the corner of the street he could see delivery truck parked outside a bakery being loaded with shelves line with bread and hot pink boxes most likely filled with pastries.

He smiled softly remembering that when Emma was pregnant with the twins, her number one craving was cake purchased in Queens. Queens was the mecca of decadent cake. There was an entire block lined with bakeries selling cakes frosted in thick, rich butter cream icing. He would drive there at least once a week and purchase a half-sheet cake for her.

XoX

"_Gimme, gimme," Emma eagerly snatched the box from his hands as soon as he walked into the apartment. _

"_Whoa," he said as she started waddling back to the kitchen carrying the cake box. He found it amusing that his normally laid back wife had become an almost crazed sugar addict during her pregnancy. He closed the door behind him and followed her, "That was a new record. I wasn't even through the door yet." _

"_Don't mess with me, mister," Emma replied as she opened up the box and stuck a finger into the frosting. She pulled out a thick clump and started eating it. "Mmm, oh, that's good." _

_He laughed at her and reached over, placing the palm of his hands on her large belly. He found her changing body fascinating to watch, each day her belly growing larger – right along with the size of her breasts. "How are my boys doing today?" _

"_I think they are break dancing on my bladder. I've lost count on the number of trips I've had to take to the bathroom," she replied, plucking a rose off of the cake. She carefully held it in her finger tips, eating it slowly. "Not to mention that today one of them stood up and turned around. It was surreal, not to mention uncomfortable." _

"_They're just restless and want to get out," he replied, moving his hand as he felt one of their heads pressing against his palm. "Or maybe it's all the sugar you've been eating. It's making them hyper." _

_She smacked his hand away and stepped back. With tears in her eyes and frosting on her lips she said, "How can you say to me? I can't help my cravings."_

_He dropped his hand. Uh-oh. He knew she was really hormonal and emotional lately and he had to watch how he phrased things. As gently as he could he said, "I was just kidding. I know about your cravings. I think it's great, I'm glad you are eating so much and getting so big. It's giving our boys lots of room to grow…"_

"_Getting big?" she repeated, her voice wild with emotion. "You think I'm a big fat cow don't you? I'm just an ugly, hideous whale of a woman who stuffs her face full of sugar…" _

_He quickly reached out and pulled her close to him. Well, as close as he could try to maneuver around her belly. "No babe, I think you are beautiful, gorgeous woman." He planted a kiss on the crown of her head and said, "Every day I look at you, you take my breath away." _

_He moved back and kissed her squarely on the mouth. Kissing Emma was one of his most favorite things in the world. He still couldn't get over how much he loved this woman. He felt her grow soft and pliable in his arms as he relaxed into his kiss. Her lips tasting like cake frosting. _

_She suddenly pulled back and said, "Stop."_

_He froze at her words and was about to ask her why when she turned and hustled quickly out of the kitchen. "Where are you going?"_

_With her back to him she sprinted away and said, "I have to pee again!" _

XoX

The light changed to green and he carefully drove through the intersection. The car grew quiet again, just the sound of the engine whirring and Diego's soft snores in the backseat. He adjusted his hands on the steering wheel when and made a left at the next light, moving into the middle lane. The city was bathed in a dark shade of pink as the sun rose up in the east.

"Red skies at night, sailors delight. Red skies at morning, sailors take warning," Emma said in a soft cadence as she stared out the windshield.

He looked at her before returning his attention to his driving. "Where did you learn that?"

"It's something my dad used to tell us when we would go sailing," Emma softly replied. "He told us that the sailors would pick their routes based on the weather forecast. If the sky was reddish at night it meant that the next day would be clear sailing. But if the sky was reddish in the morning they would prepare themselves for rough waters ahead." She slumped into her seat and added, "It's just an old myth. I don't know why I thought of it."

He didn't reply but just nodded his head. He didn't want to believe that her remembering that particular rhyme on their way to their son's medical appointment was a bad omen. However, as he drove there was no denying that the fact that she had said it at all gave him a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

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"Is anybody home?" a voice called out.

"I'm in here!" Jack shouted back from where he sat in the middle of the guest room floor surrounded by pieces of wood, screws, and his drill.

Moments later Kate appeared and leaning on the doorjamb asked, "What are you doing?"

"Trying to assemble this TV stand before Hanna gets here on Sunday," he replied as he reviewed the instructions for the tenth time. He lowered them and looked around at all the pieces of wood around him. "Do you see a piece labeled 'A'?"

She got down on her knees and helped him sort through all of the pieces. She picked up a long horizontal piece and handed it to him. "Here you go."

"Thanks," he replied as he lined it up with another piece, drilling it together.

She sat down, her back pressed up against the wall. "Where's Elaine?"

"Book club," he replied, making sure the screws were properly installed. He picked up the instructions again to see what the next step was and asked, "What brings you here?"

Kate sighed and glanced around the sparsely decorated room. Elaine chose to leave it on the simple side so that Hanna would feel free to make it more of her own while she stayed with them. "I had a bad day and didn't want to go home."

He stopped what he was doing, setting his drill down on the carpet. "Want to talk about it?" She looked at him and hesitated. "Let me guess, you came to talk to Elaine about it."

"Dad," she began guiltily, lifting up a screw and pretending to study it. "I just don't want you to do what you always do."

"And what do I always do?"

"Try and fix it," she replied as she tossed the screw back onto the pile with the others. She fixed her eyes on his. "Or offer me some fatherly wisdom on how that which does not kill me makes me stronger."

"Well isn't that why you came here?" he asked as he readjusted his legs to try and get more comfortable. He rubbed his knee. It was already getting stiff and he wished he had thought to take some ibuprofen earlier. "Looking for advice?"

"No," she replied, shaking her head. "Sometimes I just want to vent. That's it."

"Okay," he said with a slight nod. He scooted back and leaned up against the wall opposite of her, clasped his hands and dutifully said, "I can listen while you vent."

Kate stared at him and he could see her warring on whether or not to talk when she said, "It's about my writing. I'm having trouble with my editor." She paused, clearly waiting to see if he was going to jump in but he just sat back and nodded his head, indicating for her to continue talking. "We got into an argument about what topics I like to write about. He said I am too 'controversial,'" she held up her hands and did the quotation sign with her fingers, "and that I need to tone it down. I responded by telling him that he is a corporate sell out who probably has a bright future in tabloid journalism."

Jack's lips twitched, wanting to smile. "And how did he respond?"

She grinned. "He didn't like it much. It's just so frustrating that he never wants to print articles about things that really matter. Politics, crime, world events…" She relaxed against the wall, crossing her legs as she continued to complain about what sort of articles he wanted to print, his questionable office ethic, and anything else she could find fault – up to and including his crappy taste in music. "So, we ended up in a huge argument. And while he knew he couldn't fire me, he has now assigned me the fluff beat. On Friday I have to cover a Greek party disguised as a fundraiser for a homeless shelter."

"It's the student paper, not the _New York Times_. You just have to pay your dues," he interjected. Kate gave him a warning look and he backed off saying, "Sorry, continue venting."

She laughed and shook her head. "Nah, you're right. I know that I have to do this stuff right now it just sucks." She groaned aloud and gave him a smile. "Thanks for letting me vent."

"My ears are your ears," he joked. He held out his hand and said, "Now help me up. Your dad's knees aren't what they used to be."

She laughed and pulled him up.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

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"What do you guys think about Paris?" Viv asked Elaine and Samantha from across the table. A few months ago Sam told them that Martin started calling their book club wine club so they decided to embrace their true passion and rather than read a book they would visit a new restaurant and try a different bottle of wine.

They all found it was easier for them to finish a bottle of wine than a book.

"That's a random question," Sam replied as she lowered her menu.

Elaine sipped her wine and asked, "Are you and Marcus thinking of taking a second honeymoon?"

"That's implying we had a first honeymoon," Viv replied with a smile. "We didn't have any money when we got married and we were both about to start grad school so we needed every penny we had for a deposit on an apartment. Our honeymoon consisted of a road trip from Baltimore to Evanston." She batted her eyelashes as she added, "Of course, we did have a lot of fun in that car."

The women all laughed and raised their wine glasses to her before taking a drink.

"Well, I've never been to Paris but I've always wanted to go," Sam replied dreamily. "It is the city of romance."

"I highly recommend going," Elaine volunteered. "It's just a gorgeous city full of history, culture and fashion. And, oh, the food and wine…it's just great. Since you and Marcus get your summers off you should spend a month or more just traveling though Europe."

Viv toyed with the stem of her wineglass and said, "Actually, Marcus and I were thinking of taking a sabbatical so he could study French poetry while I did some research comparing international investigative techniques."

"A little business and pleasure," Elaine replied. "I like it."

Viv hummed her agreement as she scanned the menu; each dish sounding more delicious than the next. "I can't decide what I want." She looked at Sam over the menu's edge and asked, "What are your thoughts?"

"My thoughts are wondering when it happened that the first thing I check on a menu is if there is anything my kids would be willing to eat," she laughed softly and set her menu down on the table. "But other than that, I think I am going to order the crab ravioli."

The woman discussed the different dishes and made their final decisions just as the waitress walked over to take their orders. Orders placed and drinks on the table, they very soon settled into their conversations about work and family.

"I'm sorry Emma couldn't make it tonight," Viv commented as she broke her breadstick in half.

"Me too," Sam replied softly. "According to her she and Danny will pretty much be MIA on a lot of things for awhile. The next couple of months are crucial to Diego before the transplant."

"I don't know how they are handling it all," Elaine said quietly. "I don't think I could keep it as together if it was my son – or even Hanna or Kate. To see your child in pain like that, it's just the worst thing ever."

"I honestly don't know if they are really handling it," Sam breathed out.

"What do you mean?" Viv asked gently but already guessing the answer. Sam hesitated and lowered her eyes. It was clear she was struggling on whether or not to say anything. Viv reached out and touched Sam's arm, "This isn't gossiping. We want to help them however we can."

Sam licked her lips before softly saying, "They are going through a really hard time. Emma feels responsible, that because she was a doctor she should have noticed it long ago and maybe somehow prevented him from getting sick. She thinks that maybe Danny or the kids blame her. I told her that they don't but she still feels just horrible."

"I hope you were able to convince her," Elaine said. "There is no way Danny would hold her responsible. She may be a doctor but she isn't some magical diagnostician."

"Yeah, well, don't we all feel guilty if anything happens to our children," Sam said as she took a sip of her wine. "But I told her that they would be fine and I'm sure they will be, too."

Viv focused her attention on her wine as Elaine and Sam discussed some ideas on how they could help out Danny and Emma. She didn't want to contribute too much after hearing what Sam told her about Emma. She was afraid that Sam would notice the guilty look on her face and she might compel her to share what Danny had confided in her not too long ago…

XXX

_The scene felt very familiar only instead of early afternoon it was close to nine at night, the sky dark outside. Cars drove by and their headlights passed shadows through the kitchen where Danny sat at the kitchen counter cradling a cup of coffee between both of his hands looking defeated. _

_Viv sat down on the stool next to him and asked, "So what's going on?"_

"_Isn't it obvious?" he replied with a goofy grin. "I'm avoiding going home."_

_She sighed heavily and said, "Ah, yes, the in-laws moved in didn't they?"_

"_And making my life miserable in the process," he replied bitterly. "I know it makes my sons' life easier but, man, days like today..." he took a long drink of his coffee. "Her father was in rare form. I know when you marry a woman you marry her entire family but this guy…he just seems intent on making my life miserable. This morning I was joking around with Eli, nothing serious, just play wrestling and spinning him around. But he's a kid and he got dizzy and fell over. Nothing big, not even a bump on his head but Richard came up and started examining him like I was some father who beat his kids."_

"_I'm sure that's not it. You know with Diego being sick maybe…"_

"_No, Viv, please just don't. I have to put up with Emma defending him and…" Danny replied through gritted teeth. He looked like he was angry but doing everything in his power to stifle it from being directed at her. "He knows what he is doing. He has never approved of me, thinking that I'm not good enough for his daughter. And he's good at it because after spending so much time with him and the way he made me feel today…I came this close," he held up his fingers, marking an imaginary space between his index finger and thumb, "to taking a drink." _

_Viv suddenly felt guilty for trying to defend someone that could make someone she cared about feel so bad. Her posture slackened and she gently reached over and patted his hand. "I'm guessing that since you are here you didn't do it." _

_He nodded his head before joking, "He's living with us for the next few months. If I took a drink today I'd want to stay drunk until he leaves." _

"_I know why he is staying with you but maybe you can talk to Emma," Viv offered, wishing she could help her friend in some way. "Her parents have money. They could stay at a hotel." _

"_Emma likes having them around so if we have to leave suddenly we can," he replied, finishing his coffee. "But he just doesn't take care of the kids – he insists on coming with us to most of the appointments. Sometimes I have to invent reasons why he can't come just so I can be alone with my family for a little while."_

"_And Emma doesn't see any of this?" _

"_Nope, she thinks her daddy can do no wrong. Sometimes I just get so mad how she defends him," he said, angered by just the thought. "She likes having him around after an appointment to discuss what the next step should be or what course of action to take. She should talk to me – not him. It just makes me so mad at her sometimes to know that she thinks they know what is best for our son because they are both doctors," he stared into his empty cup before putting it on the table and shoving it back. He turned and looked at her with his tired, sad eyes and said, "And God help me, I start to blame her. I start thinking that if she knows so much why in the hell didn't she notice that Diego was sick sooner."_

XXX

Viv sighed heavily at the memory when the waitress appeared with their entrées. She moved back as the young woman set the plate in front of her. As soon as they had all been served she started eating.

Elaine set down her glass of wine and examined her food as she said aloud, "I'm sure that the transplant will be a success and everything will get better again?"

"I really hope so," Sam replied as she stabbed a piece of ravioli off of her plate. "I guess all we can do is pray."

"Too bad we can't get a clear cut sign from God letting us know one way or the other to at least prepare ourselves," Elaine said as she lifted her glass to her lips.

In the distance they heard a large clamor of clattering dishes and looked over to see a frazzled waiter frantically picking up some broken glasses and dishes. Marinara sauce and pasta splattered all over the floor. All three women looked at each other, their faces looking worried at what the timely accident could mean.

Viv shook her head and replied, "It's just a coincidence."


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

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Martin sat on the sofa checking his email while the kids played on the living room rug. He scrolled through his messages. Most of it was either stuff related to running, political campaigns, or promotional stuff. He stopped when he spotted a message from his older sister, Parker. The subject line read: Mom and Dad's Anniversary Party. He clicked open the message. Her message was that she had found a picture from their parent's anniversary party and she thought that he and Sam might want to see them. There were five attachments and he clicked on the first one.

One: His father and mother on the dance floor as all their family and friends watched.

Two: His father sitting on a chair saying something into Nate's ear, like a secret. There is a big wide smile on his son's face.

Three: Sam and his mother standing near the piano sharing a laugh as Grace stood between them, looking up at them.

Four: The entire family standing at the bottom of the stairs. At the top stood his sister, Parker and her husband, Curtis where they were flanked by their two teenage daughters, Amy and Olivia. Then just below them stood, his younger sister Reese, her husband Scott and their daughter, Claire. In the center stood Victor and Katherine, looking older but very distinguished and vital. In front of them, looking antsy, were Nate and Grace as Martin and Sam stood just to Victor's right. It was a great photograph of the Fitzgerald family, everyone looking happy and content.

He smiled at the photos remembering that is was a nice weekend that gave him a chance to spend some time with his parents.

XoX

_The caterer had packed up, the house cleaned up, and Martin sat with his mom and dad in the living room having a nightcap. Sam was upstairs putting the kids to bed. He offered to help but she insisted that he spend some time with his folks before they had to head home early the next morning. _

_He swirled his warmed brandy and listened as his parents discussed the party. _

"_I can't believe how much work you kids put into this party," Katherine said as she toed off her high heels. She was still dressed in a lovely pale gold silk Chanel dress. _

"_Don't thank me," Martin replied as he loosened his tie. "Parker did almost everything. Reese and I offered but you know Parker…"_

_His mom laughed lightly and said, "I adore her but she is a bit of a control freak." She took a sip of her brandy. "In any case, it was a great party and I thank all of you."_

_Victor yawned and reached over with the poker to stoke the fire. "I saw Mildred spent quite a bit of time talking to Joe Bridges."_

"_She's trying to snag husband number five," Katherine replied as she lifted up her brandy glass, watching the color dance against the soft light of the fireplace. "Did you notice that she had another eye job? That poor woman is never going to be happy if she thinks it can be found in a mirror."_

_From where he was lounging in his leather armchair, he looked over at her and said, "I thought she was fishing for compliments."_

_Martin slumped down, one hand on the back of the sofa and the other holding the brandy. "She looked the same to me? How can you tell?"_

_His mom smiled at him and said, "Oh, my dear, Mildred isn't subtle. You just have to know her code words." Martin looked at her questioningly and she explained, "When Mildred asks if you like her new eye shadow or contacts, that means she had her eyes done. If she mentions her new lipstick, collagen; earrings mean face lift; and so on. It's just so tragic."_

"_What's tragic?" Sam asked as she came to join them. She sat down next to Martin, leaning her body against his so she could rest her head on his shoulder. She took the glass from him and took a sip. _

"_Mildred Hunter," Victor contributed. _

"_Mom and dad are discussing whether or not she had another round of cosmetic surgery," Martin shared, wanting to catch her up. _

"_She did look like the kind of woman who personally paid for her surgeons summer house," Sam commented, settling her frame into his. "I can't say I blame her. I might want to down the line."_

_Katherine leaned forward and set her gaze on Sam. "My darling, you are so lovely that there is nothing a surgeon can do to improve upon your looks." _

_Sam smiled shyly and said, "Coming from you Katherine, I take that as the highest compliment."_

"_Thank you, honey," Katherine said with a laugh as she stood up. "I'm heading up to bed." She stepped over and bussed Sam's cheek. "It has been a long, busy," she kissed Martin on the cheek, "but completely wonderful day and I am exhausted."_

"_I think I'll head up as well," Victor said as he finished his brandy and stood up. He nodded at them both and said, "Goodnight. See you in the morning." He wrapped his arm around Katherine and the two of them started out. _

"_Night," they both said as his dad wrapped his arm around Katherine and started upstairs. _

_Sam sighed against him and he pulled her closer as they stared at the crackling fire. He glanced at her and could see her face looking pensive so he asked, "What?" _

_With her eyes still on the fire she said, "I was just thinking how lucky you are to have Katherine and Victor as your parents. Married for fifty years and still affectionate." She turned her head and planted a soft kiss on his lips and finished, "And how lucky I am that I married you so I get to be a part of this family, too." _

XoX

Martin saved the photo to his hard drive when he heard the doorbell ring.

"I'll get it!" Grace shouted as she made a mad dash for the front door.

"Freeze!" Martin shouted, stopping the little girl in her tracks as he closed the distance between them. "It's almost eight-thirty at night and there is no way my five year should be answering the door in her pajamas."

He motioned for her to stand back in the doorway, an evident pout on her small face, while he looked through the peephole to see who would be coming by unannounced this late on a weekday. He still couldn't believe that since becoming a father eight-thirty became a late hour for visitors. When he saw who was on the other side a slight sense of panic appeared in his chest.

As he turned the doorknob he looked over his shoulder to see Grace and Nate watching him, curious to see who their visitor was, and with a smile on his face he answered, Hi, Kelly. What are you doing here?"

She smiled broadly at him. "Hi, Marty, I'm sorry to come by so late but I just got back to town and wanted to bring by a little something as a sort of thank you for all you did to help find Monica." She held up two large colorful shopping bags stuffed with tissue paper and the handles tied up with colorful ribbon.

"You really shouldn't have gotten me anything," he replied.

"I didn't," she said with a coy smile. "These are for Grace and Nate."

"Who is it daddy?" Grace asked as she appeared by his side.

"You must be Grace," Kelly said to the excited little girl. "You're just as pretty as your picture."

He smiled at Grace and said, "Sweetie, say hello to Miss Grant."

"Hi," Grace said as she tugged on her pajama top. "Are you coming inside?"

Kelly looked at Martin questioningly and he knew that there was no way to keep this as a simple exchange in the doorway so he stepped back and motioned for her to enter. She moved into the living room as Nate and Grace eagerly eyed the bags as they bounced alongside Kelly, watching her with great interest.

Kelly sat down on the sofa as Grace, wide eyed, asked, "How do you know my dad?"

She looked up at him and softly said, "We're old friends."

"Yeah, friends," Martin concurred as he sat down on the chair opposite of Kelly.

He watched as Nate placed a hand on the bag and tried to peek inside. He was about to correct him when Kelly announced the bags were gifts for the kids, handing each of them one.

Grace had an excited grin on her face as she snatched the bag and yanked out all of the tissue paper, tossing it over her head so she could see what booty Kelly brought them. She reached into the bag and pulled out a large stuff panda bear, a handful of DVDs, and some games. Grace studied the panda bear and exclaimed, "It's Ping! Look daddy! It's Ping!" She held it up to show Martin when she saw Nate pull out his own panda bear. "And Nate got Pong!"

He picked up one of the DVDs and saw the cover of the cartoon he had gotten to know really well. _Pantastic Voyage_ was an animated cartoon about a panda bear born and raised in the Washington National Zoo but suddenly transplanted to a wildlife sanctuary in China where she meets Pong and falls in love. A sort of east meets west, fish out of water film in which Kelly provided the voice of Ping.

He knew for a fact that the DVD wasn't set for release until next week so she must have given them an advanced copy. He gave the movie back to Grace and said, "What do you have to say to Miss Grant?"

"Thank you," both kids replied in sing-song obligatory tone.

"Seriously Kelly, this is incredibly generous of you."

"It's nothing," she replied, as she watched the kids happily examining their unexpected windfall. She reached into her purse and handed him a manila envelope. "And this is for you and the entire family."

Unsure, he took the envelope and poured the contents onto his lap. There were plastic badges attached to neck cords and when he looked at one of them more closely he saw they were passes to the movie premiere of the films sequel, _Pandamonium_. "Wow, Kelly, you really shouldn't have."

"It's really no big deal, Marty," she replied as he reached over and ran her hand over Nate's hair. "As one of the voices we get all this free stuff and since your kids are about the right age I thought you might like to take them."

He put the badges back in the envelope and said, "Well, thank you. I'm sure Sam would thank you as well if she were home right now."

Kelly lowered her eyes, leaning forward and reading the back of the DVD cover. "So, where is your wife?"

"She's at her book club," Grace interjected. While the statement was harmless, Grace decided to pick this particular time to mimic the gesture he would usually do when he poked fun at Sam's book club. When a grown man mimes someone taking a drink it is funny but when a five year old does it, well, it just looks like bad parenting.

Kelly raised an eyebrow and looked at Martin, who smiled nervously and said, "It's not really like that. She's just having dinner with friends."

"Uh-huh," she replied as she glanced around the living room. He followed her gaze, wondering how his home would look in her eyes. It was a in bit of disarray, kids books, toys and shoes littered the living room floor but if she looked beyond that she would see a rather stylish home. Sam had a great eye for furniture that was hip but eclectic, mixing and matching pieces to give their home a comfy but elegant look.

Grace hopped up holding the DVD and asked, "Can we watch the movie?"

"Yeah!" Nate chimed in, hopping up and down.

Kelly smiled at him and asked, "Can we dad?"

He considered his options. He could follow the normal routine, tell the kids that it was past their bedtime and insist that they go to sleep. However, that scenario left him alone with Kelly and if Sam came home he was pretty sure that would not go over well. But if she came home to find Kelly sitting in their living room, harmlessly watching a children's movie with the kids, well, he was pretty sure he stood a better chance when explanation time came. So he stood up, clapped his hands and said, "We can watch until mom gets home."


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

XoXoXoXoX

In her years of marriage Sam discovered a very interesting fact: the longer you know someone the easier it is to translate what they really mean when they say something completely different. It was all about tone, inflection, and facial gestures. She knew how to decipher Martin and he knew how to decipher her.

When Sam arrived home she found Kelly sitting on the sofa watching TV with her family. Grace was sprawled out on the carpet in the middle of the living room while Martin sat in the chair, catty corner to Kelly. They had the TV playing so loud that they didn't hear come in so she cleared her throat and all eyes turned to look at her. Well, except for Nate who was sprawled out on Martin's lap, snoring.

"Mom!" Grace shouted as she ran up to her and flung her little arms around her waist before grabbing her hand and tugging her towards the coffee table. "Come see what I got!"

Martin shifted to look at her without waking up Nate and said, "Hello, honey," before waving over to where Kelly sat and with a big smile he added, "Look who's here. She stopped by to give the kids some gifts."

(Translation: _I swear to god I didn't invite her over. Don't be mad_.)

"Hello Kelly," Sam greeted her with a smile so forced it made her cheeks clench. She looked over at all of the kids presents scattered on the table and watched as Grace lifted up each item for her to examine. "You really shouldn't have."

(Translation: _What in the hell is she doing here?_)

"No, really, it's no trouble," Kelly replied, waving her off. The red headed actress crossed her legs and asked, "How was your book club?"

While the question itself seemed casual there was something in the way that she said it that irritated Sam; some flicker of recognition. She met the actress' eyes and suddenly imagined herself punching the smile off of Kelly's face.

Ka-Pow!

But being a classy woman she simply sat down on the arm of Martin's chair, righted Nate's pajama pants, and casually replied, "It was great. It's so nice to have a night where _us wives_ can get together while _our husbands_ spend some quality time with _our children_."

(Translation: _I do not trust this woman and she better keep the hell away from my family_.)

"That's really nice," Kelly replied with her eyes set on Sam. She looked over at where Martin sat and said, "You're very lucky to have such a great husband."

Sam followed Kelly's gaze so that they were both looking at Martin as he released a nervous laugh. "You know, I'm just going to get these kids into bed."

(Translation: _I need to get the hell out of this room right now_.)

He carefully maneuvered Nate into his arms so he could stand up, cradling the little boy. He smiled at Sam and stepped back before looking at their daughter and saying, "Come on, Grace. Time for bed."

"I don't want to go to sleep," she announced, moving to stand closer to Kelly as if there was some magical powers that a visitor might possess to prevent her from having to go to bed.

Martin stared down at his daughter's big blue eyes and said, "We talked about this, remember? We were only going to watch until mom got home."

Grace jutted out her bottom lip and made no move to follow him. She was clearly overexcited, overtired, and fully prepared to throw a tantrum.

"You have to go to bed," Sam said in her most stern motherly tone. Grace leaned her small frame against Kelly, her hand resting on the woman's knees. She knew exactly what her daughter was doing. She knew that they wouldn't get too mad at her in front of company, this wasn't the first time she would challenge them with this ploy. She had used Danny and Emma for the same cause. "You have school in the morning and you need to go to sleep okay sweetie."

(Translation: _Please baby, don't embarrass me in front of this woman. Please, not tonight._)

"I don't want to go to sleep!" Grace snapped back, stomping her foot.

"Grace," Sam warned, company or not, she was not going to tolerate this behavior. "You are going to bed and that's it."

"No, Mom..." Grace whined in protest.

"Okay that's it," Martin said in his most threateningly father tone. He moved Nate over to rest on his shoulder so he could hold him with one hand and with his other hand he reached over and grabbed Grace's hand. "You are going to bed right now young lady." Sam could see Grace try and resist but Martin's hand was tight and his eyes were narrowed at her so she reluctantly dragged her feet over. "Say goodnight to Miss Grant."

"Goodnight," she mumbled, sullenly.

"You know what, I have to go to bed too. I have a long day of rehearsal tomorrow," Kelly said as she stood up. She picked up her coat and put it on. She looked down at the sulky girl and said, "Goodbye, Grace, it was really nice meeting you."

"Bye," the little girl muttered, rubbing her eyes.

Martin shook his head at his petulant daughter and said, "Goodnight, Kelly, thanks again for the gifts. I'd walk you out but I need to get sleeping beauty to bed."

"You're welcome and goodnight, Marty," she replied.

Martin glanced at Sam before starting up the stairs to take the kids to their rooms. Sam watched them go and said, "I'll be there in a few minutes to kiss you goodnight."

Grace turned to look at her and nodded solemnly that she heard her before disappearing onto the second floor.

"I'll walk you out," she said to Kelly as she gestured to the front door. She let Kelly walk ahead as she followed with a happy smile on her face at the thought of escorting her out.

Kelly opened the door and stepped out onto the stoop. "You have a great family."

"Yes I do," Sam agreed with one hand on the door, ready to slam it shut.

Their eyes met in some sort of silent standoff when Kelly smiled at her and said, "Well, goodnight."

"Night," Sam replied watching her walk down the steps. She couldn't ignore the nagging feeling in her gut and decided to just lay it out, let her know where she stands. "Oh, and Kelly?"

She stopped and looked up. "Yes?"

"Everyone I love most in this world lives in this house," she said coolly and calmly. "And I will do everything in my power to keep my family safe and intact. Make no mistake about it."

Kelly stared back at her for a beat before nodding her head and walking away. Sam slammed the door shut and locked it before heading upstairs, emboldened by being straight with Kelly. If there was one lesson she had learned in her life is that tomorrow is never guaranteed but if she could do anything in her power to keep her family intact she would do it. As she climbed the stairs she thought about how she owes Lisa Harris for her renewed way of thinking about family.

XoX

"_How are things?" Lisa asked as she sat down in the chair opposite of Sam. _

"_Good," Sam replied as she settled into the leather sofa. It was early afternoon and the sunlight was shining into the office, creating a patch of light near her feet. "Actually, as far as Martin and I are concerned we are doing really well. We're talking more, laughing again, and, the sex has been great." _

"_That's good to hear," Lisa replied, jotting something on her notepad. Sam tried craning her head to see what was written but no such luck. "So, I'd like to pick up where we left off last time. Have you talked to your mother?"_

_Sam shifted uneasily. "I've been really busy with work and she has been stressed out with the remodeling of her kitchen…"_

"_Samantha, the longer you put off asking your mother about your father isn't going to make it any easier." _

_Sam clasped her hands and put them between her knees. "I just don't know how to even bring it up. We never talk about him and I would just feel so weird asking about him now, after all these years." _

_Lisa smiled at her and said, "Sam, if you are really serious about getting to the root of your insecurities about your abilities as a parent and your marriage, you are going to need to face your past and your mother holds the key."_

_Sam felt tears well in her eyes as she turned to look out the window. "How do you ask your mother why she thinks your father abandoned the entire family without making it seem like you think she might be to blame?" _

"_Sam, I think you are projecting your own fears onto her," Lisa said, her voice soft. "You can't know what your mom will say when you ask her. But isn't that the point, to ask her because you don't know?"_

XoX

Sam still hadn't gathered the courage to ask her mom but she gave herself a personal deadline of the end of the month. However, even with the date set she was pretty sure she would delay the call until the very last minute.

She reached the second floor and checked Nate's room to find her little boy fast asleep in his bed. She sighed and kissed him on the forehead before heading to Grace's room. As she neared she heard Martin and Grace talking softly.

"I'm sorry, daddy," Grace said in a tiny little voice.

"I know honey but you can't talk back like that," Martin corrected her as he pulled her blanket up, tucking her in. From where Sam stood she could see Grace turn her head to look at her. Martin brushed her bangs aside with his fingers and a little louder said, "You are very lucky to have her as your mom." Sam shook her head at Martin's obvious ploy. One look at Grace's face and he had to know that she was standing behind him. "She's beautiful, smart, funny, loving, strong, athletic, and very, very understanding. She's the most amazing woman in the world and I love her very, very much." He paused and softly asked Grace, "Is your mom still standing in the hallway?"

Grace nodded with a big smile.

"Did I mention that your mom is very forgiving, too?" he asked in a teasing tone.

"Oh, give it up already," she grumbled as she walked into the bedroom. She leaned down and kissed Grace on the cheek. "Goodnight baby."

Satisfied that Grace was down for the night they exited the bedroom, leaving the door slightly open. Once they were in the hall, Sam folded her arms over her chest and looked at him. "Seriously, what the hell?"

He put his hand on her the small of her back and ushered her down the hall to their bedroom. "What was I supposed to do? She just showed up."

"So you decided to invite her to sit and watch a movie?"

"Grace wanted to watch," he said as they reached the bedroom. He closed the door behind him and asked, "What was I supposed to do? If I had gotten rid of her before you came home it would have looked more suspicious, like she only visited when I was home alone. I couldn't hide it from you, the kids would have told you all about it." He walked to the side of the bed and sat down. "I figured if you came home and saw how innocent it was then you would know there was nothing to worry about."

"If there was nothing to worry about then why are you acting so guilty?"

"I don't know, I just do," he replied, guiltily. He raised his hands in the air in resignation and said, "After the way you acted the last time we saw her I just don't know what to think."

Sam stood in the middle of the bedroom, folded her arms, and cocked an eyebrow. "She's up to something, Martin. I know it."

"She was just being nice."

"I was getting a definite vibe from her," she replied, staring at the closed bedroom door, considering Kelly's behavior.

"Maybe she was just nervous," he replied, leaning back, propping himself up with his elbows. "You are an intimidating woman, Samantha Spade. You make me nervous." She wanted to be mad at him so she had to bite her lip to prevent the grin from spreading on her lips but it managed to escape. He gave her one of his wide dimpled grins and whispered, "Come here."

"No," she replied, not really meaning it.

"Come here," he said again, sounding playfully adamant. She lingered in her spot long enough to make him wonder before slowly shuffling towards him. He reached up and pulled her on top of him, sliding his arms around her waist. "I'm sorry if it made you feel bad or threatened. She just stopped by to drop off some gifts."

She wrapped her arms around his neck, laying he head on his shoulder. She sighed heavily, an uneasy feeling in her stomach at the look she recognized in Kelly's eyes. She worked her jaw and whispered, "Just be careful Martin. I know the signs of a woman interested in a married man and I see them in her."

She felt him tense up in her arms, not saying a word as he translated what she was really telling him: _I know about women like her because I used to be one._


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

XoXoXoXoX

A cavity.

A cavity on his 1st Molar, number fourteen.

Danny kicked the sheet loose and swung one leg out so it lay on top of the covers. He had spent the better part of the last hour trying to get to sleep but his frustration and disappointment would not give him any peace. As part of the many tests run before the transplant, Diego had to have some dental x-rays done to check for any possible infections since three days before the bone marrow procedure he would have to undergo an intense regime of chemo, completely shutting down his immune system. And that's when the dentist saw it: a small cavity on the interior of his tooth.

It was the ultimate act of irony. Diego most likely got the cavity because most foods he had been eating throughout the last few months contained a lot of sugar and he had not been regularly brushing his teeth. They hadn't pressured him about brushing his teeth because most nights he was so exhausted and miserable that it was just a relief that he was able to sleep. Not to mention that the chemicals in the toothpaste sometimes irritated the sores he would get in his mouth from the chemo. The very sores that made most foods difficult to have in his mouth so he would only want things that were higher in sugar because they were easier to eat. And because he was often nauseous, they were happy when he would eat at all so they would indulge his cravings.

Now, because of the cavity, the twins' procedure had to be pushed back at least two weeks while they give him a course of antibiotics and get a filling on his tooth. Once that is done they will have to begin anew, re-checking him to make sure that no other infections presented in the meantime.

So, once again, they were in limbo; waiting and hoping.

He rolled onto his side and saw that Emma was facing the opposite direction, her back to him. She was literally so close that he could just extend his hand a few inches and touch her hair. However, while she may be lying next to him right now, it felt like she was so far away she might as well be sleeping in the next room.

XoX

"_So, we're not going to do it next week?" Diego asked as he sat on the chair in the waiting room while Emma stood at the reception desk scheduling the appointment to have for his filling. He tossed the Highlights magazine he had been reading onto the end table and looked at him. _

"_No we're not," he reached over and ran his hand along the back of his son's head, resting it gently on the back of his neck. "How do you feel about that?"_

_Diego shrugged. "I was excited that it was finally going to happen."_

"_So was I," he replied, planting on kiss on the crown of his son's head. _

_Diego looked across at Emma and watched as she filled out some forms. He licked his lips and asked, "Since I am already contaminated, can I be in the play with Mike on Saturday?" _

"_You're not contaminated," Danny corrected with a smile. "You just have a cavity." He leaned back in his chair, the stiff fabric of the aged seat digging into her thigh. "We'll ask mom when she's done. It's okay with me, if it's okay with her." _

_The little boy nodded before walking over to the large fish tank against the wall. He leaned his head close to the glass, watching the fish wag their fins and swim around the tank. Diego smiled when a small goldfish swam out of the plastic castle right in front of his face. _

"_We're scheduled for Tuesday morning," Emma said as she walked up to where he sat. She didn't move to sit down but glanced over at where Diego was standing. "How is he doing?"_

"_He's disappointed," Danny replied, focusing his eyes on his wife. "He wants to know if he can do the play since the procedure has been postponed."_

_She turned to look at him, her normally bright exuberant face looking worn down. "I don't know if that's a good idea. All those kids crowded together…"_

"_You didn't mind before," he said softly. "Why did you change your mind?"_

"_I'm just worried about his health. I don't want another setback." _

"_We can make sure he doesn't spend too much time with the other kids, we can take precautions," he reached up and took a hold of her hand. Her fingers were warm and soft in his as he gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "He needs this." _

_She looked down at him and sighed thoughtfully. "I'll ask my dad what he thinks..."_

_He released her hand, letting it drop abruptly as anger and frustration threatened to boil over. "We are his parents, you and I. It should be our decision and ours alone." _

_Emma pulled back the hand he had released, holding it close to her as if it had just been burned or bitten. She lowered her eyes and said, "I only want to ask his advice, Danny. He's a great doctor and…"_

"_I know all about your dad's credentials," he replied, his voice dark and edgy. He couldn't even look at her, he was too consumed with irritation and hurt. He turned his head towards where Diego stood watching the fish swimming around the tank. "This isn't about your father and who he is or what he does. It's about us and about our son. And I want my son to do something that makes him feel good, something that will make him feel some happiness in the middle of all of this pain."_

"_Don't you think I want that too?" Emma curtly replied. "I want him to see all of his friends and stand up in front of all of his classmates and recite facts about New Mexico dressed as a man in black or alien or whatever." As she talked her voice grew louder and louder. "His immune system is compromised, Danny, and kids carry germs." _

"_Damn it," he growled at her, his eyes boring into her. "He wants to do something like a regular kid again."_

"_Diego isn't like regular kids," Emma replied, shaking her head, her entire body quaking with frustration. "He's sick and if I can't cure him of his illness I am going to do everything in my power to make sure he doesn't get any sicker." _

"_Please stop fighting!" They both looked over to see Diego watching them, his face hot as tears rolled down his cheeks. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry that I got sick. Please stop fighting."_

_They both quickly glanced at one another before hurrying over to where their son stood. Emma knelt down in front of him, pulling him into a tight hug. "I'm sorry, sweetie. We're not mad at you. You have nothing to be sorry for, we're the ones who are sorry."_

"_It's my fault you guys are fighting," Diego replied through tearful gasps as he rested his head on Emma's shoulder. "Everything was fine before I got sick."_

_Danny ran his hand over his son's back and softly said, "It isn't your fault. None of this is your fault, mijo." She looked up at him, their eyes uniting in guilt. "Mom and I aren't fighting because we blame you. We only fight because we both want what is best for you." _

_Diego's breathing started to steady and he replied, "Stop it okay? I don't like it and neither do Mike and Eli." _

"_We'll be better, sweetie," Emma promised him as she pulled back so she could look him in the face. She wiped his tears off of his cheeks with the palm of her hand and smiled at him. She scanned her eyes over his face and said, "And you know what? When you stand on the stage and recited all the facts about New Mexico, me and daddy will be sitting in the audience clapping harder than any other parent in the place." _

XoX

For the rest of the day they indulged all three of the boys by doing whatever they wanted. Everything they asked for was answered with a resounding yes because they both secretly hoped they could buy their kid's forgiveness. Each purchase or activity was a step toward assuaging a guilty conscience. They made sure that they were both agreeable to each other, doing their best to not disagree in front of the kids. Danny even did his best to be friendly with Richard, asking about his day or what sort of wine he preferred. It was excruciating to have to pretend to care but he didn't want any awkwardness between anyone in the family.

That night all three of the kids went to bed with big smiles on their faces.

However, once he and Emma were alone again in the confines of the bedroom, the barrier between them reappeared. They went about their business getting ready for bed. The only sign of any progress was that they made civil polite chit chat instead of the long drawn out silences that had been accompanying their nighttime routine the last few weeks. As he changed he watched Emma disappear into the bathroom to take her nightly long shower, something she had begun doing a few months ago. He knew it was just her way of avoiding him before they went to bed so as soon as she was inside he made every effort to be asleep in bed when she got out.

But tonight he couldn't sleep so he was awake when she emerged from the bathroom almost an hour later. The bathroom door open and steam filtered out as she tip toed quietly to her side of the bed and climbed inside, extraordinarily careful to not wake him. If she had just glanced at him she would have seen the whites of his eyes as he watched her. But she didn't look at him; she just got into bed and went to sleep.

So now here he lay, staring at her back as she slumbered beside him. He could feel the gap between them growing bigger and bigger but he had no idea how to cross it. So he just lay there, watching her and wondering if they would ever be able to find their way back to each other again.


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

XoXoXoXoX

"Hey boss man," Dawson greeted Martin as he strolled into the office with Raina in tow. "We have a hit on the boyfriend's ATM card. It was used at a Quick Stop in Auburn twenty minutes ago. According to the clerk, our guy purchased a tank of gas, two large sodas, and a few other munchies." He sat down in one of the chairs and slumped down. "Sounds like road trip food to me."

Martin dropped his pen on the desk and looked at his agents. "So she is running away from home."

"Yup," Raina chimed in, handing him a folder. "Check out the photos from the security camera. It definitely looks like she wants to be with him."

He opened up the folder and looked at grainy black and white pictures of 16-year old Penelope Garner casually strolling through the convenience store shopping aisles with her 18-year old boyfriend, Matt Garcia. Her parents reported her missing, claiming that she was kidnapped by an obsessive boyfriend. After several interviews with her friends, they learned that wasn't the case – the parents just highly disproved of Matt which in turn, made him that much more appealing to their daughter.

"It sure looks like she wants to be there," he agreed. He closed the folder and looked at them. "Nick and Jessica are on their way to Syracuse to talk to Matt's cousin. My guess is that's where Romeo and Juliet are headed. I'll tell them to hang back until the happy couple arrives." He reached for his phone to call them and said, "Good work guys. It looks like we may get to start out weekend at five o'clock."

They smiled at him before exiting to get back to their desks as Martin called up his other two agents. One he coordinated the next step with his team he started catching up on the paperwork when his phone rang.

"Fitzgerald," he answered, leaning back in his chair.

"Hey, it's me," Sam replied in her gravely feminine voice.

"Hi, what's up?"

"I need you to go pick up some yellow tights for Grace. I'm still out in the Bronx conducting interviews so I can't go."

He groaned internally at the thought of having to go to a department store. So he tried to weasel out of it by asking, "I thought you already bought her a pair."

"I did," she replied, sounding frustrated. "But Frances just called me and said that Grace was playing with them and tore a big hole in the right leg. So can you go?"

"Sam, you know I would love to go but I don't even know her size or what shade of yellow," he said, trying to deflect the responsibility by feigning ignorance.

"Oh, don't worry. I already called Saks and they will have a pair waiting for you at the sales counter," she replied with cheer. "So now you have no excuse."

He titled his head back, conceding defeat. "Okay, I'll go."

"Way to take one for the team," she said before saying goodbye and hanging up.

He glanced at his watch and decided that if he ran out now he would make it back before everyone met up in Syracuse. He stopped at Dawson's desk to let him know he was running out for a little bit and when he would be back before heading out.

Forty-five minutes later he walked out of the store, bag in hand when his cell phone rang. "Fitzgerald."

"Hey Marty, it's Kelly."

Gulp.

"Hi, Kelly," he said as he gripped the bag firmly with his other hand. "What's going on?"

"The studio has rescheduled the premiere of _Pandamonium_ so they remade all of the passes," she replied, her tone sounding friendly but professional. "I am out running errands so I was wondering if I could drop them by your office."

He glanced around the crowded sidewalk and moved out of the way of two old ladies who were arguing about their grandchildren. "I'm not in the office right now but if you leave them with security that would be fine."

"Where are you? Maybe we could meet up halfway."

"Saks," he replied with trepidation.

"Oh, that's great!" she exclaimed. "I'm just around the corner on my way to Barney's. How about meeting me up at _au bon pain_ on 50th and Madison?"

He weighed the options. He knew that Grace and Nate were really excited about getting to see an advanced screening of the movie. He could insist that she send them to the office but if he did say no then it would most likely offend Kelly who in his mind had done nothing wrong. Besides, he knew he wouldn't cheat on Sam. So he turned and started towards 50th street and replied, "Sure, I'll see you there."

A few minutes later he walked into the brightly lit café and spotted Kelly sitting at a table near the back. She waved him over and he sat down, setting the bag down on the floor near his feet. "Hello."

She smiled at him and said, "Hi."

A waitress walked over and handed them menus. Kelly opened hers up and started reading while he said that he wouldn't be ordering food, just a coffee to go.

"Come on, Marty, you at least stay long enough to drink your coffee here," Kelly urged.

He sighed and looked at the waitress. "I'll have one cup."

The waitress walked off and Kelly smiled at him as she lowered her menu, setting it on the table. "You okay? You seem…distracted."

He visibly stiffened and shook his head. "No, I'm fine."

"This is about your wife isn't it?" she asked. "She was not happy to see me at your house the other night."

"She just has this idea in her head," he said carefully. "It's really silly when you think about it."

"She thinks I'm after you," Kelly said, knowingly. He didn't reply but simply shrugged. She leaned forward, sliding her hands across the table so they were near him. "She's right, you know."

He went wide-eyed and looked back at her. "Excuse me?"

"She's right," Kelly replied with a coy smile. "I do want something from you but not necessarily in the way she thinks."

Resisting the sudden urge to flee, he simply shifted in his seat and asked, "Kelly, what are you saying?"

She leaned back up and straightened her posture. "I want to know if you would be willing to father my child."

"You want to have my baby?" he asked, stunned. The waitress reappeared, placing two cups of coffee in front of them. Kelly asked if she could have some skim milk instead of cream and the waitress walked off to retrieve it. She started stirring raw sugar into her cup while his sat untouched as he asked again, "My baby?"

"No, not your baby. It would be mine," she replied, slowly stirring the sugar into her coffee. "I've been thinking of having a baby for a long time and I'm not getting any younger. I was considering going through a sperm bank but there is just so much unknown by doing it that way. But when I saw you again, it just clicked in my mind that I should ask you. I know you, I know your personality and I know you have great genes. I mean, just look at those gorgeous kids of yours."

"I don't know where to begin…" he said, unconsciously spinning the cup around on top of the saucer.

"Martin, I wouldn't expect you to be a part of the child's life or have any obligation to me or the baby." She reached out to still his hand by placing hers on top. "This would be my baby. All I want is your sperm. That's it. Your wife doesn't even have to know."

"That's not it, Kelly," he paused, trying to think how to articulate what he needed to say and for her to hear. "As the father of your baby," he began when the waitress appeared and set the creamer of skim milk down in front of them. He waited until she was gone before beginning again, "As the father of your baby I couldn't make a donation in a cup and then walk away. I love my kids, they're a part of me and I can't imagine not being there for them every single day."

"Well, if you agreed I'm sure we could…" she began.

He shook his head, stopping her. "Kelly, I'm flattered that you would even ask me but I can't. There's just no way. I have Sam and Grace and Nate. They are my family. I'm sorry but it's just not a possibility." He picked up his bag and started to stand before stopping himself. He looked at Kelly and said, "And as far as Sam is concerned, I could never lie to her about something this important. Besides, my gorgeous kids aren't just a result from my genes but hers, too."

Kelly nodded her head in understanding as he stood up and walked out of the restaurant.


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

XoXoXoXoX

"Are you sure you guys don't need any help?" Danny asked as he hovered in the doorway to the boy's bedroom. All evening they had been holed up in the bedroom working on their costumes for their presentations for the play. He had offered to help but they refused. The only person authorized to help them was Melanie and she had apparently been sworn to secrecy.

"No, dad," Diego replied, covering up whatever he was working on as Eli hid something behind his back. "We got it."

Mike stood and started pushing Danny out. "It's going to be a surprise, so go away."

Danny held his ground long enough to ask, "You're not going to do anything that might involve the principal or getting suspended are you?"

"Who us?" Mike replied with a grin. Danny narrowed his eyes at his son. "No, dad, it's nothing bad, trust me."

He stared into his son's eyes and decided that there wasn't too much mischief in them so he let the boy close the door and wandered back to the kitchen to get a snack with a smile on his face. He missed nights like these, when the only worry he had about his boys was whether or not any trouble they would wander into would result in misdemeanor or felony charges.

He walked through the living room where Richard sat on a chair reading while Marilyn was knitting and watching _Antiques Roadshow_. They all exchanged obligatory nods and he hurried past into the kitchen. He didn't miss nights like these, where he felt like a guest in his own home.

He opened and closed several cabinets in search of a snack that would entice him when the phone rang. He called out that he would answer it and picked up the cordless. "Taylor residence."

"Oh, Mr. Taylor, wonderful. I was hoping I would finally reach you," a soft-spoken male voice replied.

"I'm sorry, who is this?"

"My apologies," the man stammered out. "My name is Dr. Ezra Jaffe and I'm a psychologist that works with families dealing with cancer. I've been trying to reach for several weeks but you and your wife never seem to be home." He laughed softly and said, "I was beginning to think you were avoiding me."

"Sorry about that, my sons aren't very good about remembering to give us messages," Danny apologized. "Why exactly are you calling?"

"Like I mentioned, I work with people who are dealing with a family member undergoing treatment for cancer. I understand that your son, Diego, is diagnosed with Leukemia, is that correct?"

"Yes," Danny breathed out.

"And his twin brother, Mike, is going to give him a bone marrow trasnsplant?"

Danny's shoulders slumped down and he replied, "Yes."

"Well, the hospital recommends that every family meet with a psychologist at least once before undergoing a major procedure. I prefer more but as they say, every journey begins with a single step," Dr. Jaffe explained. His voice sounded old but very kind. "Anyway, it can be very difficult for a patient to deal with illness but it is just as hard for the other family members as well."

"Tell me about it," Danny mumbled as he closed his eyes and pressed his forehead against one of the cabinet doors.

Dr. Jaffe sighed audibly on the other end of the line. "Yes, I can hear it in your voice you are well aware of this."

Danny laughed mirthlessly and said, "Oh, yeah." He opened his eyes and stared at the calendar posted on the wall. Each box had an appointment, time, medication, or some other note filled in with Emma's careful handwriting. "I have very intimate knowledge on the matter."

"So," Dr. Jaffe said, breaking the silence. "Is there a time I can come by and see all of you?"

"You want to come here?"

"Just for the first appointment," Dr. Jaffe replied. "I find that by seeing the home environment I can get a better sense of the family dynamics. So, when would be a good time?"

Danny walked up and checked the calendar, running his fingers over all of the dates trying to find a free time. "That's going to be tough. It looks like everyday is pretty full."

"What about this Sunday afternoon? Or is it your Sabbath?" Dr. Jaffe asked; his tone tinged with gracious humor. "I'm Jewish so it's Saturday for me."

"Sunday works for us," he replied, looking at the calendar. He reached for a pen and asked, "Around three o'clock?"

"Perfect," he replied and Danny wrote it on the calendar.

After he gave Dr. Jaffe the address he hung up and wandered back into the living room to tell the family about the appointment.

"Who was that on the phone?" Richard asked, not bothering to look up from his book.

"Family psychologist," Danny replied as he started to the hallway to tell Emma about the appointment with Dr. Jaffe. "He's coming by Sunday at three to meet with the entire family."

"You don't need any therapy," Richard replied, lowering his book. "Call back and cancel."

Danny stopped and looked at his father-in-law. "Excuse me?"

Richard closed his book and looked directly at Danny. "Cancel the appointment. I told that guy when he called before that we don't need some soft science mumbo jumbo. We're fine."

Danny clenched his fists. "You were the one who didn't give us the messages? What in the hell is wrong with you?"

"Watch your language," Richard growled back. Next to him Marilyn watched them both fearfully but remained silent.

"I will say whatever I want in my own house," he barked back, all of his bottled up frustrations ready to explode out. He could not believe Richard's obvious audacity. "And I am not going to cancel appointment just because you said so. I decide what is best for my family and you better just keep your goddamned nose to yourself in the future."

"How dare you speak to me like that?!" Richard replied with contempt.

"No, how dare you?!" Danny replied, all of his anger and frustrations boiling over after so many years of stewing beneath the surface. Suddenly Pandora's Box was unleashed and all of his resentment to the man came spilling out. "You may not like me but guess what? I don't care for you much either. But like it or not, I am married to your daughter and the father to your grandchildren so you will either start speaking to me with some respect or you can just get the fuck out of my house."

Richard stared back at him flabbergasted so Danny just stormed down the hall in search of Emma. He wasn't sure if it was to tell her about the appointment or continue venting his anger about her father directly at her. He would just decide when he found her.

He reached the bedroom door and swung it open, slamming it shut behind him. Emma wasn't there but he heard the shower running. He moved to the bathroom door, his anger rising a few more degrees that she was enjoying another long shower while he had to deal with her father. He turned the doorknob and pushed open the door, billows of steam hitting him in the face. "Emma we have to talk!"

But instead of standing under the hot water spray, Emma was still fully dressed and slumped on the floor sobbing.

And that's when it hit him, for the last few months she wasn't pampering herself or avoiding him at bedtime by taking long showers, she was hiding from everyone so she could break down.

"Danny," she replied, startled by his presence. She ineffectually tried to wipe the tears from her glistening cheeks; as if the simple act would erase the fact that she had been caught.

And just like that, all of his anger drained out and was filled up by heartache and sorrow. At a loss for words he stared down at her and asked, "Why didn't you ever tell me what you were doing in here all this time?"

Tears were still spilling down her cheek and she quietly replied, "I don't know."

He walked over to where she was and sat down next to her. He put his arm around her and pulled her close as she continued to cry. Only this time she wasn't alone.


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30

XoXoXoXoX

Viv sat on the sofa reading through a magazine when she heard the lock on the front door click. She didn't bother getting up just assuming it was Marcus back from the book reading. However, when the door opened it was Reggie who appeared.

"Hey mom," he shouted as he closed the door behind him.

She smiled over at him from where she sat. "To what to we owe the pleasure of your visit?"

He shrugged off his jacket, hanging it on the coat rack before walking up to her and giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. "I need to see if I left something in my old bedroom." He started to the kitchen and over his shoulder asked, "Is there anything to eat?"

She tossed the magazine on the coffee table and followed him.

"You know we put a lot of your old stuff in storage," she said as she walked in. "What's so important that you need to search for it on a Friday night?"

"I'm going to a party at Ki Delta Delta," he replied, opening and closing the pantry door.

She sat down on a stool, watching him hunt for food. "You're going to a frat party? You do realize that you're a grown up now, don't you?"

He gave her an annoyed look but kept talking. "It's a tradition for the older brother's to attend the annual fundraiser party." He opened the fridge, staring at the contents inside as if a piece of food would jump up and shout, 'eat me!' He opened the crisper and checked it before shutting it again. "So I need to run down the storage unit and get the neon sign of the drunken frog."

"Why?" she asked with a bemused smile. "Do they need to verify that you are a brother by showing that you kept all your crap from college?"

"Ha. Ha. Very funny. No, it's tradition to pass it on every seven years and it's my turn to bequeath it to some lucky new freshman brother," he pulled out a plate and studied the piece of baked chicken under the saran wrap before deciding against it and put it back. "Besides, this party is always so happening that anyone and everyone are invited."

She shook her head but decided there was no point in arguing how ridiculous this errand was and said, "I think I saw the sign in the storage unit. I'll get you the key."

She hopped off the stool and went to the hall closet when the front door opened up and Marcus entered, followed by Henry. He hung up his coat and said, "Hey babe, you missed an incredibly boring book reading."

She laughed and opened the closet door. "Well, then I'm so not sorry I didn't go." She found her coat and pulled the keychain out of her pocket. She closed the door and flipped through the keys before locating the one for the storage unit and pulling it off the ring. She smiled at Henry and asked, "Did you have fun?"

"I wanted to stick a screwdriver in my ear halfway through so I wouldn't have to listen to anymore," Henry joked.

She looked at Marcus and said, "Reggie's here looking for his neon sign of that ugly frog. It's in the storage unit right?"

"No, it's in his old closet," he replied, nodding down the hall. "I remember because it almost fell out and hit me on the head. Why does he need that atrocious thing?"

"It's some frat thing," she replied, heading down to the bedroom to retrieve the ugly artifact from Reggie's college years. "You can ask him about it. He's in the kitchen raiding out refrigerator."

As she padded down the hall she heard Marcus, Henry and Reggie chatting loudly in the kitchen and small smile crossed her lips. She walked into her son's old bedroom that was now used as a guest bedroom and started pulling things out of the closet.

She still remembered when Reggie announced he was going to join a frat. She was opposed to it at first, having heard far too many negative things about the fraternity life style but he was insistent. He argued that not all frats were bad, that some actually really were about brotherhood and a sense of family at college. She didn't buy it but she also knew that she didn't want to deny her son from experiencing every aspect of college she and her husband did not.

She found one box labeled "Reggie – College Stuff" and opened the flaps to find his old cap and gown plus all of his honor cords. She pulled them out and grinned at the sight of them, remembering how proud she was on his graduation day.

XoX

"_Do you see him?" she asked Marcus as she sat on the bleachers scanning the group of graduates trying to locate her son. _

_He was holding the binoculars and looking through them at the procession line. "Bet you wish you hadn't talked him out of decorating his mortar board now." _

_She smacked him playfully on the arm and replied, "I did not want our son to be that ridiculous kid tossing around the beach ball. This is an important occasion."_

_Marcus shifted his focus to the other side of the auditorium. "All things considered, I'm just happy that he is graduating from college."_

"_You are right about that," she said. Reggie's teen years were incredibly difficult. He rebelled in any way he could: drinking, skipping classes, taking back, sneaking out and probably a whole slew of other things they didn't know about. But thankfully in college he hit his stride and become not only more serious about his studies but more passionate about it as well. "I almost can't believe we're here." _

"_I found him!" he exclaimed, handing the binoculars to her. "He's in the far left line, third one down." _

_She took the binoculars and stared through them to see her son dressed in his regalia, several honor's cords hanging around his neck. He had a big grin on his face and was chatting with his friends. Her heart swelled with pride that her only son was graduating from college with a degree in architecture and already had three job interviews lined up. After so many years of worry about his future here he was, about to embark on his life that seemed line with promise. At that instant, Reggie looked directly in her direction and waved. _

_She lowered the binoculars and with tears of pride in her eyes she waved back. _


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31

XoXoXoXoX

Jack fumbled in the dark to switch on the light. He clicked it on and squinted against the invasion of such bright light in the middle of the night. Behind him he felt Elaine sit up to watch him. He picked up his ringing phone and flipped it open, glancing at the clock on the nightstand that read: 1:30 am. "Malone."

"Mr. Malone," a woman said shakily. The voice sounded familiar but he couldn't quite place it. "This is Claudia, Kate's roommate."

He knew Claudia. Kate always complained that she talked really loud and no matter where you were in the apartment you could hear her if she was on the phone. And the fact that she was calling him in the middle of then night and speaking softly, it could not be a good thing. Fully awake, he sat up straight and asked, "What's wrong?"

Claudia paused long enough to make him extremely nervous. "I think you should come to the apartment right away."

His pulse quickened. "What happened to my daughter? Is she there? I want to talk to her."

Claudia cleared her throat and said, "She can't talk right now."

His heart was thundering in his chest and his patience was threadbare. "Stop trying to deflect the question and just tell me what's going on."

The other end of the line was quiet for a long beat when she finally said, "Kate was attacked."

He could have sworn that the world just came to halt and he didn't have time to hit his brakes and he was about to fall down. He took a deep breath and said, "I'll be right there."

He jumped out of bed and reached for his discarded slacks, yanking them on.

"Jack, what's going on?" Elaine asked, watching him hurry around the room.

He grabbed his shirt and slung it on. "Kate was attacked at her apartment. I have to get to her."

Before he had even finished talking she was out of the bed grabbing clothes and rapidly putting them on. "We'll take you car. It has the siren."

Twelve minutes later they pulled to a halt in front of Kate's building. Jack's heart raced at the sight of several police cars and an ambulance parked out front. He grabbed Elaine's hand and flashed his badge at the officer's manning the front entrance as they headed to the elevator. A minute later the doors opened up on Kate's floor. There were several uniformed officers milling around as he and Elaine hurried down the hall. Near the doorway he spotted Claudia talking two detectives.

She was shaking and looking guilty and afraid. "I came home early from the lab to try and get some sleep..." she trailed off, too choked up.

"Your friend is very lucky that you arrived home when you did," the older detective reassured her. He caught sight of Jack and stepped over. "I'm Detective Schmid. Are you the parents?"

"Yeah," Jack replied, craning his neck to try and look inside the apartment. "Where's my daughter?"

"Follow me. She's being examined by the EMTs," Det. Schmid replied, guiding them inside. Jack looked over to see Claudia and the other detective watching him and he suddenly hated their pitying looks so he turned away.

They had to worm their way down the hall past crime scene investigators and uniformed officers. Det. Schmid led them to Kate's bedroom and that's when he saw his youngest daughter sitting on bed.

Kate's face was beaten and bruised, her right eye swollen shut. There was bruising around her neck and she was clutching her ripped top to her, trying to cover up. She wasn't crying or hysterical, she just sat there quietly looking stunned and lost as she stared blankly straight ahead. At that instant, Jack felt himself split in two. One part wanting to hold his daughter and reassure her she would be okay and the other wanted to hunt down the son-of-a-bitch that did this to her and eviscerate him.

"Oh my god," Elaine whispered as she brushed past him to where Kate sat. She crouched down in front of Kate and said, "Katie? Honey?"

Kate looked over to where he stood and something in her broke, her stoic demeanor cracking because the second she met his eyes she began crying. "Daddy…"

He rushed to her and pulled her into a tight hug as she wept inconsolably. He murmured words of comfort into her ear as her cradled her in his arms like when she was eight and scraped her knees. Only he knew that this time a kiss and a bandage weren't going to make it all go away.

He didn't know how long he held her when Det. Schmid cleared his throat and said, "I'm sorry to have to do this now but I really need to ask Kate some questions while it's still fresh in her mind."

Jack nodded as Kate pulled back and turned to face the detective. She wiped her eyes and shakily said, "Um, sure." With trembling fingers she tucked some errant strands of hair behind her ears. "I don't remember very much. I had just gotten back from the Ki Delta Delta fundraiser." She glanced at Jack before looking back at the detective. "I had been drinking."

"There's no law against drinking, Kate," Jack interjected, defending his daughter from any possible judgment. "And it's no excuse for what happened."

Det. Schmid eyed Jack as he flipped open his notebook and said, "Just tell us what you remember."

She swallowed and began, "Um, I remember walking up to my door…"

XoX

_The whole world seemed fuzzy and blurred around the edges as she slowly shuffled her way down the hall. She almost stumbled so she had to stop and lean against the wall to try and regain her balance. She started walking again and eventually made it to her door. She opened up her purse to try and dig out her keys, wobbling a little as she did. She found her keys but, in her inebriated state, when she tried to pull them out she ended up dropping her purse and spilling all the contents onto the floor. _

"_Shit," she slurred as she bent down to pick the things up, stuffing them back into her purse. She stood up, swaying a little at the head hush from standing up too fast. She pressed her palm on the door to anchor herself and then with clumsy fingers she inserted the key into the deadbolt and unlocked it. _

_She turned the knob and opened the door when someone grabbed her from behind and put a hand over her mouth, stifling her screams. She struggled against him, trying to wrestle out from his grip and bit his fingers. She started to yell out when he slammed her head against the wall and she toppled onto the floor. _

_Her vision went became disjointed but she thought she heard the door slam shut and then the man was back, his face covered up with a navy blue ski mask. She started to stir and crawl away, her voice croaking out, "Help!" when he grabbed her leg, yanking her back towards him and choking her to be quiet. She tried fighting him off but he began hitting her over and over in the face until she couldn't focus anymore, too dizzy to think clearly. _

_He dragged her to her bedroom and threw her on the bed. She tried to regain her bearings and started slapping him weakly with her arms but he grabbed her wrists, holding them above her head with one hand and punching her with the other. He ripped her blouse open and pulled down her jeans._

"_No, please, no," she cried, trying to wrestle free but she was no match for him as he overtook her. She tried fighting him back before resigning herself and just closed her eyes and pretended she was somewhere else. _

_That it really wasn't happening to her. _

XoX

"He wouldn't stop, no matter how much I begged," she cried. "He wouldn't stop."

Jack wrapped his arm around her again, comforting her when the detective pressed, "And then what?"

"Can't this wait?" Jack asked.

"Mr. Malone, you know as well as I do that I have to ask these questions the sooner the better."

He knew that the detective was right but it was something to be the one asking the questions and quite another to have the person involved be his own daughter. He clenched his jaw to argue the matter when Elaine looked at him and Kate as she softly whispered, "He's right, Jack. She needs to do this now."

There were tears spilling down her cheeks and she took a deep breath to compose herself. She licked her lips and started again, "I don't know how long he…you know, but then he suddenly stopped and jumped off of me before opening up my window and going down the fire escape. I was so shocked that it took me a minute to realize that he must have heard Claudia at the front door. She was on the phone just outside but she's a really loud talker," Kate explained before a forced smile twitched at her lips. "For the first time, I was happy to hear her booming voice."

The detective wrote it all down and asked, "And he never said anything?" Kate shook her head. "And he dragged you in here?" Kate nodded. The detective stepped into the hallway and looked back at them. "How do you think he knew this was your bedroom?"

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"There are two bedroom doors side by side and the other one is closer to the front door," he explained. "But he brought you to this room. Why do you think that is?"

"What exactly are you implying?" Jack growled.

"I'm just wondering if there is any chance she might know the guy," Schmid replied. "This doesn't seem like some random attack. Whoever did this knew that she would be alone and he brought her to this bedroom even though the other one was more convenient."

"Look, she was attacked and she didn't invite this guy into her home," Jack said furiously.

"No, you look," Schmid said with authority. "I can appreciate your concern for your daughter but keep in mind that I only allowed you to sit with Kate during this interview out of respect for you as an agent and your wife as a DA. But if you keep interrupting me you will have to step out, you got it?"

Jack geared up to argue when Kate put her hand on his knee and said, "Dad, don't. Just don't."

The detective refocused his attention on Kate and asked, "Is there anything about him that looked familiar or that you can identify?"

"No," she answered. "He was wearing the mask. I do know that he had dark eyes – almost black."

"Do you think he was white, Hispanic, black?"

"I can't say. All I really remember were his eyes."

"Detective, we're ready to take her," the EMT announced as he walked back into the room.

"Okay," Schmid said as he stepped back to let Kate get onto the gurney.

"Will you come with me?" she asked him and Elaine as she got strapped in.

"Elaine will ride with you and I'll see you at the hospital," he replied as he kissed her forehead. Elaine squeezed his hand before following the EMTs out. As soon as they were gone he turned around to look at the detective and asked, "How many?"

"What?" the detective asked.

"Be straight with me," he said, his tone tinged with furious anger. "I know that this can't be this guy's first time. How many other girls have been attacked?" The detective stared back at him, warring on whether or not to say. "You can tell me now or I can just check back at the office but one way or another I'm going to find out. So how about you save me the trouble and tell me now."

The detective closed his notebook and with a resolute sigh replied, "Kate is number four."


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32

XoXoXoXoX

"Can I have cinnamon toast?" Grace asked as she sat at the kitchen island eating her cereal and watching Sam assembling their breakfast. Sam didn't cook but she could assemble. Take one bowl, pour cereal, add milk and serve.

She tightened the robe on her bathrobe, smiled at her daughter and said, "Sure. What about you, Nate? Do you want some toast too?"

"Yup," he replied as he put a spoonful of Cheerios into this mouth.

She walked up to the counter and inserted two pieces of bread into the toaster. She pressed down the button, the toaster wires glowing orange. She walked to the cabinet to get the rest of the ingredients. She liked these lazy Saturday mornings where everyone stayed in their pajamas until they absolutely had to get dressed.

She heard the door swing open and Martin walked in with Milo. The poor dog was getting really old and couldn't walk more than twice around the block but they had their daily ritual and until Milo couldn't walk anymore, Martin was determined to not stop doing it. The vet told them that Milo wasn't long for this world so they should keep a list of all of his favorite activities and cross off things as Milo stopped doing them. Once they list was down to less than half, then it would be time to seriously considering putting the old dog down.

XoX

"_Sniffing butts," Nate offered. "He likes to smell butts. Dog butts, people butts, horse buts..."_

"_Okay, number nine: sniffing butts," Martin said as he wrote it down on the notepad. She gave him a look and he replied, "The boy has a point. Milo does like butts." _

_The entire family was seated in the living room writing down a list of Milo's favorite activities. Sam sat cross legged on the sofa while Martin, Grace and Nate sat around Milo, each lovingly petting him. The big dog lay there, his tail wagging as he basked in all of the attention. _

"_What about eating carrots?" she asked. "He likes those."_

_Martin looked at her and asked, "I don't know, do you think that counts under the food category or maybe as a treat?" She shrugged and sipped her wine. He went ahead and wrote it down. "What else?" _

"_He likes to have his belly rubbed," Grace said as she reached over and planted her small hand on his furry stomach and pet it. The already wagging tail began to thump madly. "See?"_

"_Alright, number eleven: belly rubs," he replied, jotting it down. He held up the list and read, "So far we have: going for walks, eating food, eating treats, chasing the neighbor's cat, playing fetch, jumping in the river, riding in the car, chewing a big bone, sniffing butts, eating carrots, and having his belly rubbed. I think we should list at least one more to make it an even dozen." _

_Everyone got really quiet to think about it when they heard a small, pfft sound and the smell of rotten eggs filled the air. _

_Nate jumped up and declared, "Farting! Milo likes to fart!" _

XoX

Once the list was done (sans farting) they posted it on the refrigerator to check it everyone now and then to see if anything needed to be crossed off. But Milo was a true member of the Fitzgerald/Spade household and was too stubborn to give up without a fight and was holding firm at sixty percent.

"How was the walk?" she asked as she pulled out the cinnamon and sugar for the toast.

"Cold," he replied as he unhooked Milo's leash and the aged Labrador slowly shuffled his way to his dog dishes and lapped up the water. Martin cheeks were flushed from the chilly morning air as he began pouring himself a cup of coffee. He stood at the counter pouring creamer into the cup and asked Grace, "So are you all ready for the play tonight?"

"Yup," she replied. "I wanted to put my costume on now but mom said no."

She stopped buttering the toast long enough to glance over at Martin who just gave her an amused smile as he replied, "Well, mom knows best."

She sprinkled the cinnamon and sugar on the toast and set it out for the kids when her cell phone rang. "Spade."

"Sam, it's Jack," he greeted her, his voice sounding hoarse and ragged.

"What's up?" she asked, her eyes on Grace who was holding up the piece of toast with both hands as she bit into it. The home phone line began ringing and Martin grabbed it off the charger.

"Hello," he answered, snagging Nate's piece of toast off the plate before moving into the living room to talk to whomever it was who called. Nate gave her a pouting look that he didn't have any toast so she wandered back to the toaster to make him another slice while still on the phone.

"I'm supposed to be on call this weekend but something's come up and I can't do it," Jack said evenly. "I'd like for you to cover for me."

She didn't really want to be on call since tonight was Grace's play but she also knew Jack never asked unless it was a real emergency. "Of course I can cover you." She cradled the phone against her ear as she turned on the toaster. "Is everything alright?"

He paused for a long beat and finally said, "I can't really discuss it now."

"Okay," she replied, sounding perplexed. "Do you think you will be back to work on Monday?"

"I don't know yet but as soon as I do I will let you know. Thanks, Samantha," he said before promptly hanging up.

She put her cell phone down on the island and drank her coffee as the kids finished their breakfast. Once they were done, she told them they could go in the living room and watch cartoons while she got dressed.

She walked into the bedroom, heading to the closet. Martin sat on the other side of the bed, his back to her. "That was Jack, he said he had a family emergency and asked that I be on call for him this weekend. He can't be in this weekend and isn't sure about Monday either." She flipped through her blouses hanging in the closet, selecting her black button up. "He sounded really upset. He wouldn't tell me what was going on but judging by his voice it's pretty serious. I hope whatever it is turns out okay." She pulled it out before moving onto pants. "So I'm in charge which means that it's just me and Paul. I'm pretty sure that Danny won't be available because of Diego. God, everything is such a mess." She turned around and laid her clothes on the bed. "Is there any chance I can steal Dawson, Raina, or someone else to help out for the next few days if I need it?"

She stared at Martin waiting for an answer. He was still sitting on the bed, his head lowered as she stared at the phone in his hands.

"Martin?" she asked; a worried feeling in the pit of her stomach. She walked around and sat down next to him, tilting her head to try and look at his face. "Martin, what is it?"

With his head still lowered and his gaze on the phone he whispered, "My mom died."


	33. Chapter 33

**A/N: I feel I should apologize for throwing so much at all of you lovely readers at once but I hit some momentum and just let it fly. That said, I did warn you this wasn't going to be a light fluffy book either. For those of you who sent PMs or posted reviews that you are on the verge of giving up on me, I must warn you that as with most of my fics - it's going to get worse before it gets better. But let me remind you of what I wrote at the start of this series, **_**'Til the Sky Turned Blue:**_

**"I am asking you to take a journey with me. For some it might a bumpy ride but I promise you will be very happy when we arrive at the final destination."**

**Now, on with the show...**

XoXoXoXoX

Chapter 33

XoXoXoXoX

He was still in a state of shock at hearing the news and it took him a moment to finally turn his head to look at Sam who was watching him with an equally stunned expression.

She shook her head in disbelief and asked, "Your mom died? When? How?"

He took a deep breath and worked his jaw a few times, trying to make his voice work. He held up the phone and began, "Parker said, um," he paused to dislodge the lump in his throat, "she said that they think she had a heart attack sometime during the night and she died while she was asleep." He had some many different feelings coursing through him that the only way he could release them was to laugh. It was a humorless, nervous, inappropriate laugh but there it was. "Ha. Ha" He threw the phone onto the bed and said, "My dad kissed her goodnight and when he woke up in the morning she didn't."

"Martin," Sam whispered, running her hand over his shoulder. He shook his head, feeling his throat tightening, growing sore with grief when she leaned in close, wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into a hug. "I'm so sorry…I don't even know where to begin," she said and he could hear her breath hitch, "Oh my god, I can't believe it."

He wrapped his arms around her, knowing that she was crying. He knew that she loved his mom dearly and was feeling this loss as heavily as anyone. Katherine was the first person in the family to reach out to Sam and embrace her as a true member of the family. The two women shared a strong connection, forged in the wake of the aftermath of his being shot so many years ago. Her face was pressed against his and he could feel the wetness of her tears on his cheeks and when he finally allowed himself to blink, his tears mixed with hers.

"I just can't believe she's gone," he mumbled against her shoulder. "I just talked to her a few nights ago. We were talking about her and dad coming to visit this summer."

Sam pulled him tighter and softly said, "At least we got to see her recently when we went down for the anniversary party. That's some comfort."

He nodded his head, remembering that one of his last conversations with his mom helped him learn something new about his childhood and in the process, gave him new insight into his own mother as well.

XoX

"_No!" Gracie shouted from the backseat. "Put it back, daddy!"_

_Martin groaned and turned the radio back on, the bubble-gum pop music by the latest teen band filling the car. It seemed that his nieces had introduced his daughter to Top-40 music and Grace, wanting to mimic the older cousins she adored and idolized, had begun insisting on listening to the same music. Which upon first listen wasn't so bad but after hearing the same five songs over and over, it started to sound like woodpecker chiseling his eardrums. _

_From the passenger seat he heard his mother, Katherine, chuckle softly and say, "Now you know why your father and I only listened to NPR when we took car trips." She looked at Gracie in the backseat who was singing along with the repetitive chorus. "The monotone voice of the newscaster was much better than having to listen to whatever pop group you and your sisters wanted to listen to."_

_They had spent the afternoon running some errands before he and Sam headed back to New York. It was rare that he could spend this much time with his mother and he actually found himself enjoying it. So he glanced at her quickly before refocusing on his driving and replied, "Really? I thought you just wanted us to be well informed."_

_She shook her head and said, "No, not at all. It was hard enough riding with you children to begin with and I was all about whatever made it easier." _

"_Yeah, well that's probably why we all worked so hard to behave ourselves," he said proudly. "I don't remember me being as difficult in the car when I was a kid." _

_This time Katherine laughed out loud, her entire body shaking with glee. "Behaved? Talk about a selective memory! There was so much fighting going on in the back of the car it was practically decreed a combat zone. All of you arguing about who's touching who, who got to sit by the window, etc. It was really annoying. Don't you remember that every once in awhile your father would threaten to pull the car over and give you kids something to cry about?" _

_Martin laughed lightly and said, "Oh, yeah. I also remember you would reach out and pinch one of us."_

_She smiled and shook her head as she replied, "It worked for a little while and then it would start all over again." _

"_I don't remember insisting on listening to certain radio stations when I was Grace's age," he said as another song came on the radio and Grace released a shout of joy. He glanced in the rearview mirror to see the little girl kicking her feet and bobbing her head side to side in time with the beat. At least she had rhythm. _

"_Oh, you weren't that bad with the radio but you would have a fit and insist that we roll down your window because you couldn't see out," she replied as she tapped on the glass passenger window. "You were adamant that you couldn't see anything through the glass; that the window must be rolled down and the wind blowing in your face in order for you to really see what was going on outside."_

"_Really? I don't remember that at all." He adjusted his hand on the steering wheel and said, "That's so weird of me."_

"_Yes and not just a little bit annoying," she said with a grin. "It wasn't so bad in the summer but in the winter it was so cold that I made it a point to only drive you to places that were no more than a few minutes away. The Christmas we drove up from Virginia to see your aunt Bonnie in Long Island it was all I could do to not just strap you to the roof of the car and let you have all the wind you wanted" _

_He laughed and pulled to a stop at the light. "Knowing me I would have loved it."_

_She reached over and gently patted his forearm. "Not only would you have loved it you probably would have insisted on always traveling that way."_

XoX

He remembered that it felt good to talk to his mom from one parent to another. Then it hit him that she wasn't going to be around anymore to offer him parenting pearls of wisdom or share memories that had long since faded from his mind. With his mother's death he lost a piece of himself, a part of his identity and a connection that could never be replaced; a void that could never be filled by any other person.

He and Sam stayed there grieving for a few minutes longer when he heard Grace shouting from downstairs, "Mom! Can I have a juice box?"

Sam pulled back, wiping tears from her cheeks and shouted back, "Yes and get one for your brother too!" She reached over to the nightstand to pick up the box of tissues. "When do you want to tell the kids?"

He grabbed a few tissues and blew his nose. "I think we should wait until after the play. She's been so excited and I don't want to take that away from her." He fell back on the bed, feeling weary and lost. "Besides it will give us time to figure out what the arrangements will be. I'm sure Grace will have a lot of questions and I'd like to be able to answer some of them."

"Are you sure you don't want to fly down today?" Sam asked from where she sat on the bed, looking down at him. "It's just a play and you know how much she loved your mom."

"I'm sure. I know that my mom would rather Grace do the play than just sit around the house in mourning," he breathed out, closing his eyes. "We'll fly out tomorrow."

He felt Sam's hand squeeze his knee before she lay down next to him, laying her head on his shoulder. She gently caressed his cheek with her soft fingers and asked, "Did Parker say anything else? How's your dad?"

"She said he is putting up a tough façade and just walking around talking about how they need to make arrangements," he said, his voice sounding hoarse and foreign to his own ears. "I'm not surprised. My dad has never been one for showing his emotions."

Sam pressed herself tighter to him, nestling her head into the crook between his neck and collarbone and said, "He may stoic on the outside but he and your mom have been married for fifty years and I'm sure he is just devastated." She released a heavy sigh, her breath warm on his neck. "He loved your mom so much."

He didn't reply but hummed in agreement. There was no doubt in his mind that his dad was just trying to be brave, to act strong and just focus on the task of planning the funeral because if he really stopped to think about it he would just fall apart at knowing that he would not get to see his wife that he adored ever again.

Martin knew this was true because that was exactly how he would feel it if were Sam.


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34

XoXoXoXoX

Jack stood in front of the kitchen window staring out as the tea kettle boiled on the stove. Despite all of his years on the job, all of the things that he had seen and witnessed, he was still thrown off guard at how much so many lives can change so suddenly. Yesterday, Kate was just an eager reporter navigating her way through life and now she was emotionally and physically damaged. Even if and when she moved on, the events of last night would shape her entire life. They would color how she would look at safety, trust, intimacy, and so much more. Any innocence she had left was violently taken from her and would never be regained.

His cell phone rang in his pocket and he pulled it out, glancing at the caller ID to see it was Sam. He flipped it open and answered, "Yeah?"

"Hi, Jack. How are things?" she asked softly. There was a tone of grief in her voice and he just knew that she had heard about Kate.

"Did Det. Schmid call you about the investigation? Is that how you found out?" he asked, his voice a low rumble. "I told him if they heard anything about the guy who attacked Kate that he was supposed to call me on my cell, not the office." Sam was quiet for a long beat on the other end of the line and he wondered if they had been disconnected. "You there?"

"Jack, I didn't talk to a Det. Schmid and I have no idea what you are talking about," she stammered out before carefully replying, "Kate was attacked? Is she okay?"

He closed his eyes and ran his hand over his face. He didn't realize how on edge he was at having jumped to one conclusion so quickly and inadvertently spilling the news. He released a heavy sigh and then explained to Sam everything that had happened – from the early morning phone call to Kate's examination at the hospital – before finishing, "We just got home a little while ago."

"Jack, I don't know what to say, I'm so sorry," she replied. "Is there anything I can do?"

"Not right now but thanks for offering," he replied, appreciating the thought. "Taking over for me this weekend is more than enough." He heard the tea kettle whistle and walked over to the stove. "So if you didn't know why did you call?"

"Um," she mumbled before growing quiet. "It's was about work but it can wait. I'll talk to you later. Take care."

He said goodbye and they hung up.

He poured the hot water into the two mugs, the water turning light brown from the tea bags. He fixed the two cups of tea and holding one in each hand he slowly made his way to the bedrooms.

He reached the guest bedroom that just a few days before they had been setting up for Hanna. It suddenly seemed a lifetime ago. The door was open but he knocked softly before walking inside. Kate was under the covers and talking to Maria on the phone.

"Don't worry, Mom, its okay you can't get here until Monday. You're in Japan. It's not like it's a commuter flight," she said as she watched him put the mug of tea on the nightstand. "Dad's taking good care of me." He gave her a small smile and then stepped away to take the other cup to Elaine. As he exited, he heard her continue talking, "Yeah, Hanna will be here tomorrow. I'll tell her."

He walked into the bedroom and saw that Elaine was lying on the bed trying to get some rest. Everyone was emotionally and physically exhausted but he was sure that any actual sleep was going to be a long time coming.

He set her tea down and said, "It looks like Maria will be here on Monday."

Elaine leaned up on her elbow and took a sip of her tea. "Good."

He walked over to the window and pulled the drape aside to look outside. Since they got home he felt a primal urge to protect his family. He wished he had someone to focus his anger at right now, a face he could pound his fist into but the most he could do was stand watch.

"Jack," Elaine said and he looked over at her. She patted the bed and said, "Come lie down. You don't have to sleep but just lay here with me." He didn't want to lie down, he wanted to go out and conduct a manhunt but he knew that couldn't do anything right now so he walked over and lay next to her. Once he was as settled as he could get, she rolled onto her side and asked, "So what did Det. Schmid tell you?" He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and she smiled. "You don't really think we thought you stayed behind at Kate's apartment just because you wanted to drive to the hospital directly did you? So what did he say?"

The corner of his mouth twitched, wanting to smile that his wife knew him so well before he grew somber and said, "It looks like he is a serial rapist and he's getting more aggressive."

XoX

"_She's the fourth girl?" he asked, angrily. _

"_I'm afraid so," Det. Schmid replied, pulling Jack aside to talk quietly. "This guy is good. He never leaves behind any trace, can't get a positive ID because of the mask, and no one ever sees him enter or leave. I'm hoping we can get some DNA off your daughter since she said she was able to bite him." _

"_What about his MO? It can't just be totally random," he replied, already calculating on how to take over the investigation. _

"_All of the girls are attractive with long brown hair. They're smart, outgoing and outspoken. So far the only connection we can find between any of the victims is that they all attend a university, NYU, Columbia, and even a community college." Det. Schmid went on to explain, "Each girl was also attacked after leaving a frat party. I think he counts on them getting drunk enough to have their defenses down because in any other state, these girls are fighters. They didn't go down easily."_

_Jack stifled his anger as he mentally lined up a bunch of privileged kids who think they are above the law. "Same fraternity?" _

"_That's the problem. The first two were Delta Omega Delta and Kate and the third were Ki Delta Delta. Since we can't directly link it to one fraternity, getting warrants isn't easy."_

"_It could be our guy isn't a frat guy but just knows that those parties are easy to get into, they're always really crowded, lots of girls," Jack speculated as he imagined a non-descript man moving through a crowded party with a bunch of drunken coeds. "Waits for them to leave and then follows them home." _

"_That's another problem," the detective continued. "Two of the girls were attacked near their cars, the last one just outside her dorm and your daughter, here at her apartment. That's why I was hoping there was some chance she would have known him. This attack was too brazen for him." _

"_Are you sure it's the same guy?" _

"_Other than the location of the attack everything else is the exact same," Schmid replied, tapping his pen on his notepad. "Same type of girl, man in a mask who gets violent but doesn't speak, it all matches." A uniformed officer came up and handed the detective a note. He read it and said, "It looks like the security camera in the lobby was out of order." _

"_Great," Jack growled. He eyed the detective and said, "I'd like to be kept informed. Help work the case." _

_The detective paused, eyeing Jack carefully, "Agent Malone, I empathize with your situation but you and I know that you need to be kept out of it. She's your daughter and I can't risk the case getting thrown out because of your involvement." _

"_I'm not going to just stand around and wait, hoping you catch this son-of-a-bitch," Jack replied, undeterred. _

"_I'll see what I can do," the detective said as he pocketed his notepad. "In the meantime, you should go check on your daughter. She's going to need you right now." _

XoX

"He thinks that because all of the girls were inebriated and hit in the head it makes it harder for them to catch all the details. Couple that with a lack of real evidence," Jack rubbed his eyes with the heel of his hands, "there is a good chance that this guy could get away or just keep attacking girls until he makes a mistake."

Elaine reached over and ran her hand over his chest. "They are going to get this guy."

"How can you be so sure," he asked.

"Because Jack Malone always gets his man," Elaine replied.

He opened his eyes and looked at his wife. "I hope you're right."

There was a knock on their door and they both looked over to see Kate lingering in the doorway. She was wearing Elaine's sweatpants and his FBI sweatshirt that hung loosely on her small frame and almost reached her knees, making her look infinitely small. The bruises on her face were still blue and red but the swelling on her eye had gone down enough for her to look through it.

"Mom is going to be here on Monday," Kate announced, holding her arms close to her. "I just thought you might want to know."

"That's good," he replied, sitting up to look at her as a sense of helplessness pressed on his chest that he couldn't protect his little girl from a twisted man who takes pleasure in harming women.

Kate nodded as if she was going to head back to her room but made no move to leave.

"You know what?" Elaine said as Kate turned to look at her. "Your dad and I can't sleep so we were just going to watch some TV. Do you want to stay in here and watch with us?"

Kate quickly nodded and scurried over to the bed, crawling in between them and getting under the covers. As Elaine turned on the TV and started flipping through the channels he scooted up and wrapped his arm around his little girl, holding her tight and vowing that he would make whoever did this to her would pay dearly.


	35. Chapter 35

**A/N: This chapter is dedicated to Anmodo. **

XoXoXoX

Chapter 35

XoXoXoX

Danny watched as kids dressed as pieces of fruit with legs, city landmarks, and other random things that he couldn't possibly identify walked up and down the aisles of the auditorium trying to locate their parents. Alongside him, Emma bounced Eli on her lap to try and keep him amused until the play began. Keeping the attention of a three-year old is like trying to nail jello to wall; it involves of lot of jiggling and wiggling. Emma pulled out a toy from her purse and handed it to the boy in the hopes that it would provide an amusing distraction. On the other side of Emma sat her parents who were all smiles at her and the little boy but if he got caught in Richard's line of sight, the happy smile turned into a blank stare.

He knew that his father-in-law was still angry about their confrontation the day before but for the first time in a long time, Danny felt more like the man he used to be and refused to apologize or back down. He glanced at Emma who was trying to chat up her mom, and thought, she was starting to resemble the woman he married as well. Particularly since she had finally begun to stand up to her parents, too.

XoX

_Danny was strapping his watch onto his wrist as he made his way to the kitchen for breakfast. He was freshly showered and wearing his favorite pair of worn jeans and a Mets t-shirt. He wouldn't say he was feeling upbeat but after finally telling off Richard and sharing Emma's secret, there was definitely a shift in his demeanor. As he neared the door he heard her talking to her parents. Judging by the tone of the voices it wasn't a pleasant conversation. _

"_No," Emma said irritably. It was followed seconds later by the sound of a cabinet door slamming shut. "I'm sorry if you feel that way but I agree with Danny. I think some time with a family therapist is what we all need. It's even long overdue in my opinion."_

_Enthralled by a conversation he thought he would never hear, he inched closer to the door and pressed his ear up against it, wanting to hear more. _

"_No one in our family needs a head shrinker," Richard said coolly. "You're a Close, Emma, and you are stronger than this. You're holding up brilliantly and I think…" _

_He heard a hand slam on the table and Emma replied, "I'm not holding up, dad. I'm falling apart and so is this family! This isn't about you; it's about us." She paused and carefully, with emphasis, said, "And the Taylor's think a 'head shrinker' is just what we need." _

_Before he had a chance to step back, the kitchen door suddenly swung open and hit him smack in the face. He stumbled back, seeing stars and holding his hand to his nose that was throbbing with pain. When he opened his eyes Emma was standing in front of him, still looking hot and flustered from her conversation with Richard but also concerned. _

_She reached up to touch his nose, examining it, and asked, "How much did you hear?" _

"_Enough," he softly replied, enjoying the touch of his wife's hand on his face. Even if it was for medical reasons. _

_The kitchen door swung open again and Richard emerged, looking angry. His eyes darted back and forth between them, looking grumpy, before he said, "I'm beginning to think that maybe your mother and I should stay at a hotel." _

_Emma's eyes didn't leave Danny's face as she continued her cursory examination. "I'm sure the kids would hate to see you go but you should do what's best for you." _

_Danny kept his head still but his eyes wandered over to look at Richard's face in time to see the man narrow his eyes at him before storming off. He looked back down at Emma and said, "Are you alright?"_

_She pressed her fingers against his nose to check if it was broken. Her eyes were studying it with concern as she whispered, "Not really," she slid her hands down his face, pressing them against his cheek and met his eyes. "But at least we're not alright together." _

XoX

Much to his disappointment, it seemed that Richard's remark about going to a hotel was just an empty threat because a few hours later they were lounging in the living room doing a puzzle with the kids and did not appear to be in a hurry to get anywhere.

He turned his attention to the parents chatting happily about their kid's upcoming performance. After so many parents complained about having to fight for a good place to stand with their video cameras, the school installed a main camera at the back of the auditorium so that any parents could connect their own cameras to the main line. It not only guaranteed that they would get some great shots but it also freed them up the to actually enjoy the show rather than spend all their time checking angles, focus, or whether or not the battery would last.

A few kids ran past worming their way through the throngs of people. There was an air of excitement as everyone hustled and bustled past when he spotted a familiar face in the crowd.

"Samantha! Over here!" he shouted, waving her over. She approached holding Nate on her hip and he scooted down a few seats so they could sit down. Eli bounced off Emma's lap and immediately started chatting with Nate, showing him his action figure. The two boys stood up on Martin's seat so they could look around at all the fun that they weren't able to participate in.

"Thanks for saving the seats," she said as she sighed and relaxed into her seat. "This place is a mad house." She pulled off her jacket and placed it on her lap as she looked over at Emma and her parents, "Hello."

Richard and Marilyn greeted Sam with big smiles while Emma leaned over Danny and whispered, "How are you doing with everything?"

Sam looked over her shoulder to make sure Nate was too preoccupied with gawking to overhear and replied, "We're coping. Martin's in the lobby on the phone with his sister talking about the arrangements." She turned to face Danny and added, "Thanks again for covering for me, or rather, covering for me who is supposed to be covering for Jack."

"We have to look out for one another," Danny replied. "You, Martin and Jack have been incredible through all of this with Diego. The least I can do is cover one weekend. Particularly one as bad as this one."

"Tell me about it. You'd think we all broke some giant mirror or something," Sam bitterly quipped.

Sam had called him earlier in the afternoon to ask if he would cover for her should a case come up since she wanted to go with Martin to Washington for his mother's funeral. He was shocked and saddened by Martin's mother's abrupt death and told her he would absolutely do whatever he could for them. And then she told him about Kate's rape. He was angry at just knowing and he couldn't imagine what Jack was thinking. He has tried calling him but it went straight to voicemail so he decided to give the man and his family more time. He was sure that when Jack was ready to hunt down whoever did it, he knew he could count on Danny to help.

Two horrible events back to back, along with Diego's illness, made him think that it was like they were all blades on the proverbial fan of life that the shit hit. And it was just going round and round.

"Daddy!" Nate shouted. He watched as the little boy jumped off his chair and darted straight at Martin who was walking towards them. He picked the boy up as the lights flickered, announcing that the play was about to begin.

Eli jumped off the seat so Martin could sit down. He gave everyone a wave and a smile before Danny managed to catch his eyes and they shared a sympathetic look before refocusing on what was happening on stage.

The principal of the school, Mrs. Everett, announced the program and thanked everyone for attending. Moments later all of the kindergartners filled the stage dressed as brightly colored fruit and veggies. Danny watched as Nate climbed onto Martin's lap and pointed excitedly at seeing his sister on stage.

All of the children smiled awkwardly at the crowd of parents and family members, looking self conscious at having to perform. The music began to play and the kids began singing, "I eat the colors of the rainbow… Veggies and fruit that help me grow! Red… red… some of my favorite foods are: apples, cherries, strawberries and tomato!" As each fruit or veggie was announced a small child that was dressed as the matching food would jump forward on the stage and do a silly dance before getting back in line. Some of the children were so focused on when it was their turn that they forgot to sing along or actually move around. "Orange... orange... some of my favorite foods are: carrots, oranges, peach, and sweet potato! Yellow... yellow corn and lemon, pineapple and banana!"

This time it was Gracie's turn and she jumped forward, smiling widely and shaking her little banana costumed booty as their entire row shouted and applauded wildly. Danny laughed as he noticed that Nate was mimicking his older sister's dance as he sat on Martin's lap.

As soon as the kindergartners were done they went on to the next grade and so on. It was one of the problems with these sorts of events that it could be painful to have to sit and watch some awkward performances, especially when your kid was not even participating. Finally it was time for Mike and Diego's class to perform.

Emma reached over, taking her hand in his and asked, "Are you as nervous as I am?"

"Definitely," he replied with a soft laugh. They had no idea what the boys finally decided to do for their performance so they were bracing themselves for whatever may come.

The entire class gathered on the stage but he didn't see his boys. He found it hard to believe that his sons would hang back but before he could dwell on it, they began. After a few dry students who just stood up and reciting facts, he was hoping his boys would do something wacky just to spice it up. Finally, it was Diego's turn.

His son walked to the front of the stage wearing his suit from his First Communion and began, "New Mexico is the forty eighth state. The state bird is a Road Runner, the state flower is the Yucca, and the capital is Santa Fe New Mexico. Los Alamos, New Mexico is the birthplace of the atomic bomb. But the state is best known for…Roswell," he paused and the music from _The X-Files _began to play. The young boy stepped up and dramatically began, "The first known site of an alien space crash. It was there that the alien conspiracy began…" Diego then explained the government alien conspiracy when an alien appeared on stage. Well, not so much an alien as Mike wearing an alien mask as Diego jumped back and pulled out a small little gun and shouted, "Stop! I am with the Men in Black! Are you friend or foe?" Then alien Mike started walking across the stage like a zombie from a really bad movie and after he and Diego struggled, Diego shot him down. A bunch of kids cheered as Diego put his sunglasses on and stood victoriously over the dead alien while the Will Smith song from the movie blasted from the speakers.

He looked over to see Martin laughing hard as the audience applauded. He turned back to face Emma and said, "That's our boy."

She shook her head and said, "We still have one more and you know they save the best for last."

A few more kids went on stage but after the showmanship from Diego they seemed rather dull. At least in Danny thought so.

Then it was Mike's turn.

Mike appeared also dressed in his suit but rather than wearing the tie he had the top buttons undone and sauntered on stage. He bowed before the audience and began, "Florida is known for many things. Juan Ponce de Leon, a governor of Puerto Rico, is credited for the discovery of Florida in 1513. But when people think of Florida they think of the everglades, Cape Canaveral where the Space Shuttle often launches, Disney World, Miami beaches, and Sea World. They also think of alligators, or gators, which are the official state reptile." Mike paused and got a wry smile on his face as he said, "But when I think of Florida I think of Cubans. Many Cuban refugees moved to Florida to get away from el pendejo Castro. They brought their culture with them, including their language, their food, and best of all," suddenly a spotlight shined right on him and he said, "the music!"

Suddenly, Diego joined Mike on stage holding bongo drums and wearing a fedora. Music began to swell as the two boys stood in front and alternated the beginning of the song, La Dicha Mia, while beating on the bongos. "Lucky me, to perform in Havana and there, I became a singer of songs. They led me to the great Mamboleros, in all of Cuba, the toast of the town. Singing at the Tropicana my fantasies finally came true. Imagine, going to New York, seeing the great ones, in my heart untold…"

As the song faded out Eli leapt off of his lap and ran to the stage. Danny started to chase after him when he saw Mike and Diego help pull their little brother on stage as a new song that was close to Danny's heart began to play. The boys smiled broadly over at where he and Emma sat as they sang along, "Yo soy un hombre sincero de donde crecen las palmas. Yo soy un hombre sincero de donde crecen las palmas y antes de morirme quiero. Echar mis versos del alma." they were soon joined by their entire class singing the chorus, "Guantanamera. Guajira Guantanamera, Guantanamera. Guajira Guantanamera…"

He felt Emma squeeze his hand and smile at him, tears of pride in her eyes as they shared this moment. And even though he knew they still had a hard time ahead and so much remained uncertain, that this, seeing their sons shine and enjoy life, this is what they were fighting so hard for.


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter 36

XoXoXoX

Jack lay in bed scrolling through the TV channels trying to find something to watch as Kate slumbered next to him. It took a few hours and one dose of Valium but she finally drifted off to sleep. He and Elaine, however, were still wide-awake. She had gone into the kitchen to try and put something together for dinner while he stayed with Kate, whose head was resting on his arm.

He changed the channel again and landed on a movie starring Kelly Grant. He decided he might as well get caught up on his pop culture so he dropped the remote on the bed next to him to watch the movie.

"No, no, don't…" Kate mumbled in her sleep, fidgeting next to him. Jack looked down at his daughter as she continued her dreamscape struggle. Her eyes were moving rapidly beneath her eyelids as her voice reached a more panicked tone, "Stop…" He shifted so he could try and wake her up when she suddenly bolted upright and shrieked, "No!"

Her breathing was labored as she reached up and checked her neck while glancing around nervously, unsure of her surroundings.

"It's okay," Jack murmured as sat up next to her and tenderly rubbed her back. "You're here, you're safe." She clutched her shirt and ran her hands over her neck as if to assure herself she was okay. There were tears welling in the corner of her eyes as she tried to catch her breath. He kept whispering reassuring words in her ear as she lowered her head and closed her eyes, slumping against him as she sobbed. He held her against and repeated, "It's okay. I'm here."

He sat there cradling her in his arms, feeling helpless that he couldn't do more to spare his daughter this pain. If he could he would absorb it for her, take it all on so she wouldn't ever have to experience this anguish. Her crying began to slow down when he heard the home line ring once before growing quiet and he assumed that Elaine had answered it. He knew that Samantha had most likely told Danny about Kate based on his phone call earlier. He didn't feel like having to retell the story again so he let it go to voicemail. Danny would understand. They all knew each other well enough to know when to give each other a little time and distance.

Kate pulled away from him and wiped her eyes. He saw that her nose was running so he grabbed the box of tissues from the nightstand and handed it to her. She pulled a few out and blew her nose before shaking her head angrily. "I shouldn't have been drinking last night."

"You cannot blame yourself," Jack replied with conviction. "This is not your fault."

"If I hadn't been drinking I wouldn't have dropped my purse, I would have paid better attention to what was going on, I would have been able to fight harder…" she trailed off, as hot, guilty tears started to fall.

Jack placed his hands on both her shoulders and leaned in, meeting her eyes. "Kate, I want you to listen to me. None of this is your fault. Whoever did this to you took advantage of you at your most vulnerable. It is your right to have a drink or go to a party. It does not give anyone – anyone – the right to do what they did to you."

She bit her bottom lip and weakly nodded. He knew that while she heard him she wasn't completely convinced. After all of his years on the job he knew that Kate was going to have to go through a long process to cope with all the feelings she was and will experience. Thankfully, he, Elaine, and Maria, knew that while the process was going to be difficult, they would provide a strong support system for Kate to help her heal.

He opened his mouth to continue talking when Elaine appeared in the doorway, phone in hand. She looked at them and carefully said, "They have a suspect in custody." Both he and Kate stared back at her in disbelief as Elaine finished, "They want Kate to come to the station to see if she can ID him and answer a few more questions."

"Really?" Kate asked, her voice sounding scared.

Elaine nodded before walking towards the bed. "If you aren't ready we can…"

Kate shook her head and wiped her nose as she scooted off the bed and started towards the door. "I need to do this."

They both watched as Kate walked out of the bedroom to get dressed. Elaine looked at him and asked, "Are you sure she is ready?"

Jack stared at the doorway that his daughter just walked through and replied, "She'll never be ready unless she does this."

After everyone hurriedly got dressed they drove to the station where they met up with Detective Schmid. He looked as tired as they felt; his suit was slightly disheveled as he walked up to them carrying a cup of coffee. "I'm glad you were able to come down right away."

Ignoring any pleasantries, he asked, "How did you find this guy?"

Schmid glanced at Kate before meeting Jack's eyes. "If you don't mind, I'd rather Kate do the line-up without my offering an explanation. I don't want to unjustly influence her."

"Of course," Elaine agreed, as she placed her hand on Jack's arm. "We want the DA's office to have a rock solid case."

"Hello," a soft female voice greeted. Jack turned around to see Morgan, the rape counselor that met with Kate at the hospital after her examination. She was a short but muscular woman who was also a victim of sexual assault and has spent the eleven years since, working as an advocate for women in similar situations.

"Hi," Kate said to Morgan, a look of relief on her face at seeing someone who really knew what it was like to be in her shoes. "I didn't expect to see you here."

"Det. Schmid thought maybe you would want me to be with you during the lineup," Morgan replied, glancing at him and Elaine in way of greeting.

Before Jack could protest that he would be with his daughter, Det. Schmid quickly said, "I thought it would be best if Kate did this alone." He looked over at Jack and finished, "Having family in the room tends to bring a lot more emotion to an already difficult situation. I don't want to risk this guy's lawyer arguing that she was pressured to make an ID or anything. Both Morgan and I will be in there with her."

Jack turned to Kate and asked, "Will you be okay on your own?"

She glanced at Morgan quickly, who gave her a reassuring look before replying, "I'll be fine."

Morgan escorted Kate into the back of the station. As the detective started to follow, Jack reached out to stop him and asked, "What do you have on this guy?"

The detective looked over to make sure that Kate was out of range and said, "I'm really liking him for this. A neighbor said when he was leaving the building he saw Kate and this guy 'having an intense conversation,'" Schmid said with his hands held up using his fingers to do air quotations. "It might have been his trigger."

"How did you find out who he was?" Elaine asked, her arms folded and her tone cool and lawyer like.

"The guy gave a description to a sketch artist and we compared it against security camera footage in her neighborhood and we matched it to an ATM," the detective pulled the red plastic coffee stirrer out of his cup and began chewing on one end. "He withdrew some cash around the time Kate's roommate got home and called it in."

Jack could feel blood lust coursing through his veins at the possibility of Kate's attacker being so close. He clenched his fists and asked, "What do you know about him?"

"He was booked for assault on a woman two years ago but the charges were dropped," the detective said as the coffee stirrer hung out of the corner of his mouth. "But the real cincher is that he is a former member of a Ki Delta Delta and he admits to being at the same party Kate attended."

"You think he is our guy?"

Schmid pulled the stirrer out of his mouth and tapped it on the rim of the paper cup. "I can't say for sure but when I started asking more direct questions and mentioned the names of the girls he turned pale white – and considering he's black that's saying something."

Elaine shared a look with Jack at the detective's racial reference and asked, "Does he have an alibi?"

"Don't know yet, as soon as I mentioned the attack last night he lawyered up right away. He also refused to give us any DNA without a warrant," the detective tossed the cup in a nearby wastebasket, a look of disgust on his face. "In my experience the only ones who put that many obstacles up at once are usually hiding something."

"What's his name?" Jack asked.

"Agent, I don't want to say until…"

"What's his name?" Jack asked again, not caring about rules or regulations.

He could see the detective warring on whether or not to say before finally surrendering, "His name is Reggie Johnson."


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter 37

XoXoXoXoX

Marcus held the door open for Vivian as she rushed inside the police station. It a typical Saturday night, crowded with argumentative prostitutes, drunks arrested for fighting or the odd criminal whose cause for arrest was unclear. Viv made a straight beeline to the clerk's desk, passing a drunk who was slurring obscenities at his arresting officer arguing that it was the other guy who started the fight.

She placed her hands on the counter and said to the stout woman sitting behind the glass-enclosed cage, "I'm looking for Reggie Johnson. He was brought in for questioning."

"Are you his lawyer?" the woman asked as she scanned her eyes over Viv's dark pantsuit.

"No, I'm his mother, Vivian Johnson," she replied as Marcus came to stand next to her. She read the woman's ID badge and saw that her name was "Sgt. Warbler."

"I'm sorry, but you'll just have to wait here," Warbler replied, her unemotional tone reflecting her years of giving the pat response. "Only law enforcement officials and legal counsel are allowed inside."

Even after all these years, Viv automatically reached into her coat pocket for her FBI badge before remembering that she no longer carried one. She dropped her hand, leaned forward and decided to try another tactic. "I am former FBI Special Agent Vivian Johnson and I need to speak with Reggie Johnson."

The woman shook her head. "Ma'am, I am sorry but former agent does not qualify."

Marcus released a frustrated breath and said, "We're his parents, isn't that qualification enough?"

Warbler looked over at him and asked, "Is he a minor?"

"No," Viv replied softly. Warbler denied them again so she decided to try another tactic. "Can you at least tell us if his lawyer has arrived? His name is Jesse Burnell."

She clicked on a few keys and replied, "I do see that his attorney arrived a few minutes ago and is on his way to see him now."

Jesse Burnell was an old friend of the family that Viv had gotten to know after years of working in the bureau. She had considered calling Elaine but she was a prosecuting attorney while Jesse was a well respected defense attorney and when it came to her only son she wanted someone who was used to fighting for the guy on the other side of the interview desk.

Marcus ran his hand over her back and said, "That's good. At least Jesse's here."

Viv nodded as Marcus pulled her into a reassuring hug.

"Vivian?"

She spun around and saw Jack standing behind her; he looked tired like he was in the middle of a really tough investigation.

She rushed up to him and said, "My god, Jack, I've never been happier to see you in my life. They have Reggie here questioning on an assault on some young woman." She gestured to the clerk and asked, "Can you please get this woman to let me in to see him? I'm sure if you tell her who you are she will let you escort me inside…"

"I can't," he said softly before lowering his eyes.

"Why not?" she asked, incredulous. He was a friend and now when she needed him most he was denying her? She worked her jaw, gearing up to argue when a thought occurred to her. "Jack, why are you here? Did Reggie call you?"

He licked his lips and breathed out, "Kate is the young woman who was raped."

It felt like the floor was made of wet sponges, making her feel shaky and unstable. With her knees swaying she asked, "What?"

"Kate was attacked last night," Jack explained; his face unreadable.

"But," Marcus began, his voice uneven as he reached for his words. "I don't understand if it's Kate that they would think it was Reggie? They're friends, they practically grew up together."

Viv joined Marcus in staring at Jack who look guarded as he replied, "A neighbor said that he saw Reggie arguing with her in her lobby just before it happened."

"But Reggie was at a party for his old frat," Viv explained. "How could he have been with her?"

"She was at the same party," Jack replied, coolly.

She stared back at him, trying to process what he was telling her. There was so much impossible information being thrown at her at once that she didn't know which emotion, which issue she had to latch on to first. She slowed down her thought process long enough to switch gears from panic about Reggie to sadness about Kate before finally landing on the only truth she knew could be plausible.

"I'm so sorry about Kate, I really am. That is horrible but you know there is no way Reggie would harm her," Viv replied, trying her best to appear calm and rationale even though she wanted to cry out that there was no way in hell her son, her baby boy, could harm anyone – much less Kate. "He was probably just taking her home." She waited for Jack to agree, that this was just an awful misunderstanding but when he didn't reply and glanced away she stepped closer and repeated, "Jack, you know Reggie wouldn't hurt, Kate. You know that right?" His hesitation may have lasted less than a couple of seconds but it was just long enough for Vivian. She took a few steps away from him, shaking her head. "How can you possibly think he would be capable of doing this?"

"I'm not saying anything yet," he said at last, his tone was low, belying the restrained anger she recognized in her friend of over twenty years. "But he isn't helping things by not answering any questions."

"My son is a black man accused of the rape of a white girl and you expect him to answer questions without a lawyer present?" she countered, as angry as any mother bear defending her cub. "It doesn't matter what year it is, you know how it looks." She fixed her eyes on his and continued, "And while I am so sorry about what happened to Kate don't you forget that I used to be an agent, too. I taught my son long ago what his legal rights are, along with what's wrong and what's right. So don't you dare start passing judgment on Reggie for protecting himself."

"It isn't just one white girl, Vivian. It's my girl," Jack replied, his tone crisp and curt. She recognized it from years of watching him conduct interviews. "And she isn't the only one. They think…whoever did this to her has done it with at least three other girls."

She stared back at him as she realized just how much more serious the accusations against Reggie were becoming. He wasn't just accused of attacking one woman but several. She could feel her heart beating furiously in her chest and the blood rushing through her body. She felt woozy and staggered backwards.

"I don't think we should be talking to each other right now," Marcus said, moving to stand between her and Jack.

Jack's eyes darted to her before landing on Marcus. He nodded his head and with a scratchy voice replied, "Yeah, I think you're right." He started to turn before he stopped and gave her a hard look. "I just need some answers, Viv, for Katie's sake."

She met his eyes but remained quiet as he turned and walked down the hall. She felt Marcus touch the small of her back. She slumped over and shook her head, whispering, "This can't be happening."

"You need to sit down," Marcus said gently, guiding her to a row of hard plastic seats.

She staggered slowly towards them and sat down, her heart thundering in her chest and the blood racing so fast she could hear it in her ears. She took a few breaths and stared straight ahead at the wall across from her. The bulletin board filled with most wanted photos, rules about the waiting room, business cards for bails bondsman, and other things that could only be found in police station.

Marcus ran his hand soothingly over her back and said, "It's going to be fine. Jesse will get this all sorted out."

She leaned back and tilted her head so that it touched the wall behind her. Even with her eyes closed she could feel Marcus watching her. She knew that he was studying her, worrying that about her health and her heart. She lowered her head and looked at him. "Stop it. I'm fine. Focus that energy on Reggie."

He reached out to hold her hand and they sat together silently and waited.

About an hour later, a door opened and Reggie appeared with his lawyer. She quickly embraced him, assured that he was not the man they were looking for. But when he pulled back there was still fear evident in his eyes and Jesse told them that they all needed to go home and talk. Now.

The car ride was quiet. They didn't even bother to turn the radio on since all it did was provide noise to heads already loud with thoughts. Once they arrived home, they all sat down in the living room and Viv clasped her hands, watching Reggie sitting on one of the chairs looking as scared as he did when he was four and afraid of the monsters he thought lived in his closet.

She wanted to ask him a million questions but the words wouldn't come. Thankfully it was Jesse who broke the silence.

"The good news is that they don't have any physical evidence so far," he began. He was an older man with dark silver gray hair and average in stature. He had an affable face but Viv knew that once he was in the courtroom he was a commanding force. "The only witness they have saw Reggie downstairs and since Reggie confirmed that he was there but just dropped Kate off, it's all circumstantial."

"What do you mean by 'so far'?" Viv shifted from where she sat and looked straight at Reggie. "Reggie?"

Reggie shifted nervously where he sat, wringing his hands. He licked his lips and replied, "I thought I was being helpful, making sure she got home alright."

XoX

_He opened the door with one hand and helped steady Kate with the other. She laughed as she almost tripped on a step and he grabbed her just in the nick of time. "Careful, okay."_

"_My hero," she said, her words sounding slurred and slow. She smiled up at him. "You're a good guy, Reggie." She reached up and tapped his nose, a silly grin on her face. "Did you know that?" _

"_I've been told," he said, laughing softly at the sight of her in a deep inebriated state. He looped her arm around his neck and roped his arm around her waist as he tried to get her to the elevator. "What floor are you on again?" _

_Kate stopped and in a rapid fire voice sang out, "__Just before you hit the floor. One minute you're up top, you better not miss a shot. Making a rough start, you think you won and then it's all gone!" _

_He laughed. _

"_I really love Linkin Park," Kate cooed, leaning into his face. Her breath reeked of jello shots and Jagermeister. He already wasn't envying the hangover she was going to have in the morning. "When I was a kid, Hanna and me would crank up the volume and jump around the house listening to it. That was fun."_

"_Sounds like it," he replied, pressing the call button for the elevator. _

_She laid her head on his shoulder and said, "I drank way too much tonight." She closed her eyes, humming to herself._

"_Yes you did." He saw that the elevator was still stalling on another floor. He looked at her and asked, "What were you doing at that party anyway? I thought you were under the impression that frats were dumb."_

_Without opening her eyes she replied, "I still do. I had to go for work." She opened her eyes and held out her hand as if she were marking up an imaginary headline. "Ki Delta Delta Annual Fundraiser a Smashing Success! Girls drunk, boys odds of scoring increased, and, oh yeah, raised money for charity." _

"_For someone mocking the drunken girls you did more than your fair share," he commented, pressing the call button again. _

"_I know," she murmured. He noticed that her eyes were light pink. "I was just bummed out about having to be there. I thought the alcohol would help." She craned her head up towards him and asked, "What were you doing there? Aren't you too old?"_

"_Alumnus business," he replied with a wink before tilting his head in close to hers and in a conspiratorial voice said, "I'd tell you but then I'd have to kill you." _

_She laughed, her eyes twinkling with either joy or drunkenness. Before he knew how it happened she pulled his head close with her arm and kissed him. It wasn't a soft or romantic kiss, but one out of want or need or just convenience. _

_Being a guy, he responded at first, the lips and tongues mingling before he caught himself and reacted by abruptly ending the kiss and moving free from her hold. "Kate, no." _

_She moved her hands to his face to try again and asked, "Why?"_

"_We can't, its wrong," he replied, taking a step back since her hands and arms kept trying to pull him closer. She wasn't the least bit undeterred, she tried to move her hands back to his face so he grabbed her wrists and in warning tone said, "No, this can't happen."_

_The elevator dinged and a man around his age exited the elevator carrying a duffel bag. He looked at them with curiosity so Reggie said, "What?"_

"_Let go of me," Kate said with a scowl, not bothering to acknowledge there was a man observing them. Instead, she yanked her hands free from Reggie's hold. "What the hell is your problem?" _

_The man eyed them but must have decided that they were just another couple fighting and walked out the door. _

"_You're drunk," he said as if it were news to her. "You don't know what you are doing." _

"_I know when I kiss someone I usually don't expect to be brushed off," she said, sounding both angry and hurt. "Just forget it." She walked into the elevator and pressed the button. When he started to follow her up she held out her hand to stop him. "Where do you think you're going?" _

"_I just want to make sure you get in okay," he said, trying to push his way inside but her stubbornness was persistent. _

"_Don't worry about me," she replied, pressing the button to close the elevator. "I'll be fine. You can go home now." _

XoX

"I walked around her block a couple of times trying to decide if I should follow her up just to make sure she got in alright before I finally decided she wasn't so drunk that she couldn't make it inside on her own so I left," Reggie finished. "It was late and I didn't want to take the subway so I stopped at an ATM to get some cash for a cab."

Viv pressed her fingertips to her temple, trying to sort out how bad this was beginning to look for Reggie. "So the reason you didn't want to give any DNA is because they might find some if they did a mouth swab."

"Yeah," Reggie breathed out. "I don't know how it works, I'm not a chemist or CSI or whatever. They wouldn't tell me what they were looking for exactly and then when they told me about the other girls, I called you."

"But son," Marcus said as he leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. "If they think this guy is a serial rapist and they only found your DNA on Kate I'm sure they would know it wasn't you."

Reggie quickly stood up and walked over to the window, his back to them.

"Reggie?" Marcus asked, sharing a worried look with Viv.

"There's more to this," Jesse said before glancing over at where Reggie stood. "Do you want me to tell them?"

"No," Reggie replied before turning around to face them. He had a lost, nervous expression on his face as he met her eyes and said, "I knew the other girls who were raped too."

"What?" Viv exclaimed, giving her son a penetrating look. "How? What are you saying?"

"I didn't do any of this mom!" he croaked out, heavy with emotion. "I know how this looks but I swear to god I am innocent!"

Marcus reached out and placed his hand on her thigh to try and help calm her. He took a deep breath and carefully asked, "How do you know the other girls?"

Reggie hugged his arms close to him and replied, "I sort of dated them."

"Sort of dated?" Viv repeated. "Did you date them or were they just some girls you fooled around with?" Reggie didn't reply but shrugged and looked away. "Damn it!" Viv declared. "Do you have any idea how bad this looks? My god, Reggie," she stood up and walked up to where he stood. "Circumstantial or not, you are implicated in all of this and those cops down there have decided you are their best suspect right now."

Reggie looked at her with sorrowful big brown eyes and replied, "But they are going after the wrong guy."


	38. Chapter 38

Chapter 38

XoXoXoX

Sam stood in Martin's childhood bedroom unpacking their suitcases. She needed to feel useful while Parker, Martin and Victor were at the funeral home making arrangements for the service. It seemed that her beloved mother-in-law had requested that she be cremated and have her ashes scattered at sea. It stunned the entire family when the family lawyer had informed them of her final request. While it was no secret that Victor loved the sea and taking excursions on his boat, _Muireann, _they had always operated under the assumption that Katherine only tolerated it because she loved Victor but didn't have any actual interest in sailing. Yet there it was, written in her own hand that while her service should be open to everyone, she wanted only the immediate family aboard the boat to say their final goodbyes.

She pulled out some of Martin's shirts and put them in a drawer as her thoughts kept drifting back to Katherine. Her heart was heavy with grief at the loss of a woman who became like a second mother to her, always offering helpful parenting advice or just a smile of encouragement. She walked back to the suitcase and started rifling through it to make sure she remembered to pack a pair of black shoes for Grace. She found one shoe and as she held it in her hand, studying how small her daughter's shoe seemed in her hand she sat down on the edge of the bed as a memory of Katherine drifted into her thoughts…

XoX

"_I know you don't have any idea what the sex of the baby is yet but I saw these in a shop and I just couldn't resist," Katherine excitedly said as she held up a pair of pale green baby booties with little frogs printed on the sides wearing tiny little crowns. "Aren't they the cutest thing you've ever seen?" _

_Sam smiled as Katherine handed her the impossibly small socks. This baby was going to be her fourth grandchild but she still acted as excited as if it were her first. Sam suspected that it had a lot to do with the fact that Martin had told her that Sam didn't want kids so to prepare herself that they wouldn't be having any children but here they were, happily expecting to add a new member to the Fitzgerald clan in a couple of months. _

"_They are very cute, thank you so much." She examined the socks in her hand when the baby suddenly kicked, as if already knowing that he or she was well on their way to being spoiled by their Grandma. She shifted, trying to get into a comfortable position. "I think the baby is trying to tell us that he or she likes the socks, too."_

"_May I?" Katherine asked, holding her hand out. Sam nodded and Katherine placed her hand on Sam's ever expanding belly. It felt like the baby rolled over onto his or her side as Katherine said, "I remember when I was carrying Martin it felt like he was spinning around like a top inside my uterus." _

_Sam laughed. "Well then he or she is definitely taking after him. It never seems to sit still for too long." Katherine moved her hand off of the bump and just sat on the other end of the sofa smiling at her. She shifted again and asked, "What?" _

"_I was just thinking about the first time I met you," Katherine replied softly. _

_Sam lowered her eyes remembering that the day she met Katherine was when Martin had been shot and their first introduction was over his comatose body. While it was years ago, the memory still made her tense up with ache. "That wasn't exactly the happiest of introductions was it?" _

_Katherine leaned against the back of the sofa and replied, "No it wasn't." There was a small smile on her lips and mischief in her eyes. "Can I let you in on a secret?"_

"_Of course," she replied with great interest. _

"_When we met, I knew in that instant that you were the one for Martin," she said with a knowing grin. "I mean, sure, there were issues to be worked on but there was something there that just told me that you were the one who held my son's heart."_

"_Really?" Sam asked, surprised by this revelation "He was in coma, not to mention that we were broken up at the time. How could you possibly think that we would end up together?" _

"_It was just a feeling in my gut," she replied, reaching out again to lay her palm where the baby was kicking. "Call it mother's intuition. Just wait, you'll get it too." _

XoX

Sam choked up, the weight of Katherine's death suddenly pressing heavily on her heart. A few tears trickled down her cheeks as the burning, sore feeling rose in her throat. She wept quietly for a few minutes before shaking it off and returning to what she was doing. She put the shoe down and picked up Martin's suit. She hung his black suit in the closet, brushing out any wrinkles before walking back to the bed where the suitcase sat. She glanced out the window to see her nieces, Amy and Olivia pushing Grace and Nate on the swings. Both her children had wide smiles on their faces as they swung back and forth, looking as happy and content as they did when they last visited for the anniversary party.

She leaned against the wall and watched them, admiring the scene below. When they told the kids that Katherine had passed away it was very difficult but she learned that children grieve very differently from adults. It seemed that while all of the grown-ups were in a constant state of mourning, the grief of children was a slow process that came in waves, usually in the form of seemingly random questions.

XoX

"_We need to talk to you both," Sam said as she held Nate on her lap while Grace sat between her and Martin. Both kids looked back and forth between her and Martin waiting to hear what they were going to say. She and Martin stayed up late last night surfing the web on ideas on how to explain death to a small child. But there was the advice and then there was actually having to tell your small children that their beloved grandmother was dead. Martin gave her a reassuring look and she took a deep breath and said, "Yesterday, your Grandma Katherine died."_

"_Died?" Grace asked, placing her little hand on Martin's leg. "What do you mean?" _

"_It means Grandma is dead," Martin gently explained. Sam studied his face as he spoke, grief and sadness evident in his face. _

"_What's dead?" Nate asked, his eyes wide and curious. _

_Martin leaned in so his head was close to his son's and said, "It means Grandma can't breathe or walk or talk or see you anymore. It's sort of like how on the movie 'The Lion King' when Simba's dad died. You remember that?"_

"_That was sad," Grace replied knowingly. _

"_Yes it was," Sam agreed. "And Simba was sad that he couldn't see his dad anymore because he died but he after awhile he was okay again." _

"_So Grandma is like Mufasa?" Grace concluded with a nod._

"_Yes, something like that," Martin replied, sharing a look with Sam that this seemed to be going well._

_Grace stared at him for a long beat and asked, "So, does that make you Simba and mom Nala? Then who am I? Am I Timon or Pumbaa? Cuz they're boys and…"_

"_I want to be Pumbaa!" Nate adamantly declared, narrowing his eyes at his sister. _

"_I think we're getting off track here," Martin said as he pulled Grace onto his lap. "Let's forget 'The Lion King' for a minute. Your mommy and I wanted to tell you that later today, all of us are flying back to Washington for your grandma's funeral. Do you know what a funeral is?" _

"_When you cry and bury someone with lots of flowers," Grace replied and both Martin and Sam nodded their heads, indicating that she was correct. "Can we buy Grandma roses? She loves roses." _

"_Yes, we can buy her roses," Martin replied with a gentle smile. "A bunch of roses." _

"_Good. She will like that," Grace replied before asking, "Can I go play with my dolls now?" _

"_Sure sweetie," she replied as Grace she ran to her room. Nate climbed off her lap and scurried after his sister. She looked at Martin and said, "That went well." _

"_Well, according to all of the websites we searched kids don't always process this stuff the same way we do," Martin replied, sinking into the sofa and rubbing his tired eyes. She knew that he spent most of the night tossing and turning, unable to sleep. She knew this because she had trouble sleeping too. "I guess we just have to prepare ourselves to answer questions as they come to them."_

XoX

Grace spotted her in the window and waved. The little girl said something to Nate who looked up at her too, laughing wildly. She waved back at them and blew them kisses before turning back around to finish unpacking when she heard her cell phone ringing from her purse. She reached over and pulled it out, flipping it open. "Spade."

"Hey, it's me," Martin greeted, sounding weary. "How are things over there?"

"Fine. Amy and Olivia took the kids outside to play in the backyard," she replied, trying to sound upbeat for his sake. "Are you still making arrangements?"

"Um, no. Actually that's why I called," he said softly. "We are on our way to pick up Reese and Claire at the airport." Reese and her husband divorced two years ago and shortly after she had moved to Ohio with her daughter. "Dad is going to go back to the house with Claire but Parker and I were thinking that the three of us would go to the boat to make sure everything was alright for tomorrow and, I don't know, maybe try and figure out what she was thinking when she planned out her funeral." He sighed audibly and continued, "But I don't want you to feel like I abandoned you or anything. It's just…"

"It's just that you and your sisters need this time," Sam finished. "Of course it's okay with me." She knew that if the situation were reversed and it was her mom, she and Bridget would want some time alone to talk about her the only way siblings could. Then she wondered what they would do if it was their father. Would they feel a need to mourn together or just grab a few drinks and curse the old man who abandoned them as kids? And then it occurred to her that he could be dead already.

"Thanks for understanding," he replied, breaking her away from her thoughts. "I love you and I'll see you later tonight."

"I love you, too," she said before hanging up. She stared at the phone in her hand, realizing that time was fleeting and precious so she couldn't keep delaying what she needed to do. She hit speed dial and listened as it rang.

"Hello?" Diane answered.

"Hey mom, it's me," Sam said as she scooted back on the bed, her back against the headboard.

"I was just thinking about you," Diane replied. "How's Martin's family doing?"

"They're doing as well as can be expected," Sam said as she drew her knees up to her chest. "Actually, Katherine's death made me realize a few things and I need to ask you something that might not be easy to talk about but I really need some answers."

"Sammy, I'm not planning on dying anytime soon if that's what has you sounding so worried."

"That's good to know but that's not why I called," Sam said, feeling nervous and unsure. "It's about my dad."


	39. Chapter 39

Chapter 39

XoXoXoX

"Go to bed! You have school tomorrow!" Danny shouted down the hall to the boys' bedroom where they were laughing loudly. "Don't make me go down there!"

It grew quiet and he stood there, waiting for them to start up again. After a few minutes of silence he was satisfied and closed his own bedroom door, looking over at Emma who was pulling the decorative pillows off the bed. She was freshly showered, her hair pulled back into a braid and wearing a t-shirt and pajama pants.

She tossed the pillows onto the nearby chair and asked, "Do you think they're really going to sleep or just trying to psyche you out?"

His eyes glanced at his darted door, a calculating look on his face. "I don't know. I might need to do a surprise raid in a few minutes just to be sure." He pressed his ear against the door, listening. "I think I can hear them still talking..."

She laughed and pulled down the sheets before crawling into bed. She rolled onto her side, propped herself up with her elbow and looked at him. "Is this your new thing?"

"What do you mean?"

"Eavesdropping," she replied with a smile. "This is the second time in two days you've done it. Or is it part of your FBI training at work?"

He grinned at her, his ear still pressed to the closed door. "If I really wanted to do this right I'd have their room bugged but this method is just as effective. And it doesn't require a warrant."

She nodded her head, an amused expression on her face. She lay there watching him for a few beats before she asked, "So we haven't had a chance to discuss the session with Dr. Jaffe, how do you think it went?"

He shifted back from the door so he could lean his shoulder against it. He folded his arms as he considered her question. He worked his tongue into his cheek before finally saying, "I think it was tough to hear what the boys had to say but I'm glad we know how they are feeling." She looked so casual lying on the bed; it was the most relaxed he had seen her in months. "What do you think?"

"I feel the same way. It's amazing how much is going on underneath that we just don't see," she replied before lying down, her head resting on her pillow. "I just didn't realize how much we project onto the kids without even realizing it."

"Yeah," he breathed out. The first session with Dr. Jaffe was quite an eye-opener. He wasn't sure how the kids would react talking to a stranger but the kind doctor immediately put the kids at ease.

XoX

_They all sat in the living room, nervously waiting for Dr. Jaffe to arrive. Danny and Emma sat side by side on the sofa while all of the boys sat on the floor, gathered around the coffee table working on a jigsaw puzzle. Emma's parents had gone out for the evening, which while Richard may have thought was a punishment, as far as Danny was concerned it was a gift. _

_The air was quiet with either nervous anticipation. Or maybe it was dread? Danny still wasn't sure which. The doorbell rang and he glanced at Emma before quickly standing up to answer the door. He placed his hand on the doorknob, looked over his shoulder at everyone staring in his general direction. He opened the door to find a short man with a white beard, glasses, and a kind gentle face looking up at him. _

"_Mr. Taylor?" Dr. Jaffe asked, his voice revealing a strong Brooklyn accent. _

_Danny stretched out his hand and said, "Hello, you must be Dr. Jaffe."_

"_That's me," Jaffe said, shaking his hand. Danny was slightly taken off guard that while the man may have been short in stature his grip was strong and firm. The two men stood there watching each other for a beat when the doctor said, "You going to invite me in or is everyone going to come out into the hall to talk?" He motioned around the hallway as he looked around. "It's a nice hallway but there's no place to sit and I had to walk six blocks from the train to get here and my feet are tired." _

"_Oh, I'm so sorry, please come in," he apologized before stepping back so the doctor could enter. _

_Emma walked up to him and shook his hand. "Hello Dr. Jaffe, I'm Emma Taylor," she introduced before gesturing to each of the boys. "And this is Mike, Eli and Diego."_

"_What fine looking young men you all are," the doctor replied, his eyes studying each of the boys. "I'm Dr. Jaffe. It's nice to meet you." _

"_You look like Santa Clause," Eli declared with great enthusiasm as he stood in front of the man and pointed to his white beard. Both Mike and Diego began chiming in their agreements at the resemblance. _

"_Boys, I think Dr. Jaffe is actually Jewish and doesn't celebrate Christmas," Emma gently corrected. _

"_That's true," Dr. Jaffe laughed and ran his fingers over his beard. "But you know what? I've always suspected this St. Nick of being part Jew. He ran a good business and every time he made a delivery he had a little something to nosh. Speaking of which," he held up a small white box, "I brought some cookies and scones." He stared down at the boys and asked, "You like chocolate chip or oatmeal raisin?"_

"_Chocolate chip," all of the boys replied at once. _

_Dr. Jaffe laughed and opened up the box letting each boy have a treat. After the boys were done he pulled out a cookie for himself and then handed the box to Emma._

"_Thank you," she held the box close to her and jerking her head to the kitchen asked, "Would you like some tea or some coffee?"_

"_Tea sounds lovely," Dr. Jaffe replied, taking a bite of his cookie. _

"_I'll be right back," she said, sharing a look with Danny before disappearing in the kitchen. _

_After Danny and the doctor sat down, the boys gathered back around their puzzle. They would hold up pieces as if they were working on it but their attention was clearly more focused on the doctor. _

"_Are your in-laws here?" Dr. Jaffe asked, his eyes scanning their living room. "I thought they were living with you."_

"_They are but they…" he almost started to tell him what Richard really thought of the family seeing a psychologist before stopping himself. No matter what he thought he was not about to trash his father-in-law in front of the kids. "They had a previous engagement and can't be here."_

_Dr. Jaffe chuckled softly, "You mean they think seeing a psychologist is meshuggeneh."_

_Danny laughed and nodded in agreement when Diego said, "You talk funny."_

"_I do?" Dr. Jaffe replied; his Brooklyn accent thicker and over exaggerated. "I can't help it, what you want I should talk like an Englishman?" With a serious face he said, "Sir, would you like some crumpets with your tea?" The boys laughed. Dr. Jaffe leaned in close and scrutinized their progress on the puzzle. "What are you working on here?"_

_Mike handed the doctor the box cover. "It's a puzzle of Shea Stadium." _

"_So you're Mets fans?" Dr. Jaffe commented as he picked up a puzzle piece and tried to figure out where to put it. _

"_We sure are," Diego replied, grinning over at Danny. "Right dad?" _

"_That's right mijo," Danny replied, reaching over and running his hand over his boy's head. "Best fans in the world." _

_Dr. Jaffe connected the puzzle piece and then picked up another one. "It's good that you and your dad like the same teams. Me, I like the Mets but my father, he was a Yankees fan to the end. Oy vey, the arguments we would get into come baseball season. He wanted me to be just like him."_

"_I want to be just like my dad," Mike declared. "That's why I have to be brave so I can grow up and be an FBI agent, too." _

"_What do you mean 'have to be brave'?" Dr. Jaffe asked just as Emma walked back into the living room. She shared a look with Danny before sitting down next to him. _

"_You know, not be scared but be tough and strong all the time," Mike replied as he pushed a piece of the puzzle into place. _

"_Everyone gets afraid," Dr. Jaffe replied, sounding casual. _

"_Not my dad," Mike said as he stopped working on the puzzle, looking up at the doctor. "My dad catches criminals so he can't ever be afraid of anything so that means I can't be afraid, too." _

_Dr. Jaffe glanced at Danny who felt like he just had the rug pulled out from under him. He leaned forward and looked right at his son. "Mike, I do get scared and I worry." _

_The boy stared at him with his big brown eyes. "What are you scared of?"_

"_I worry about you and your brothers," he replied, not breaking eye contact. "I get scared that you and Diego have to go through the transplant and will have to feel any pain that I can't take away. It scares me that I can't go through this for you." He felt all the boys watching him, a look of slight amazement on their faces at seeing him looking so vulnerable. He looked at Mike and said, "It's okay to be scared."_

_Mike leaned back on his heels and said, "I'm scared about the surgery." _

"_Me too," Diego whispered. _

"_So am I," Emma replied as she pulled Eli onto her lap. They all grew quiet, the weight of their revelations feeling heavy in the air while at the same time making them feel strangely lighter for having shared their fears. _

_Dr. Jaffe plugged in another piece and leaned back, declaring. "Well, look at that. We're making some progress."_

XoX

Danny looked over at Emma and said, "I liked Dr. Jaffe and I think the boys did too."

"How could they not? He looked like Santa and brought them cookies," Emma commented. "But yeah, I like him too. I think this therapy thing will be good for all of us."

Their eyes met in understanding and he smiled at her, feeling like they were finally getting back in sync. He ran his eyes over her languid form and it occurred to him that it had been a long time since they had done something else in sync. "You know there's something else I'm afraid of."

"What?" she asked sounding genuinely concerned.

He crept up to the bed and lay down on his stomach, draping his arm over her torso. "I'm afraid it's been so long since we've had sex I may have forgotten how it works."

She gave him a coy look, snaking her arm around his neck. He scooted up closer, his lips inches from hers. "I'm afraid you're right." She planted a soft kiss and murmured, "Maybe we should check and see if anything has changed since the last time."

He pressed his lips to hers, her warm, soft, wet lips tasting sweet and salty on his taste buds. She parted her lips slowly as he moved on top of her, the kiss intensifying when they heard some shouts and laughter coming from the kids' room.

He groaned loudly, rolled over and got up off the bed, his voice growing loud and threatening. "I'm afraid…" he began as he swung the door open, "I'm afraid that I am going to have to kill the boys for not going to sleep!"

The boys' laughing and screaming escalated as he started down the hall. Behind him, he heard Emma softly tease, "Make it quick or I'm afraid I will have to start without you!"

He laughed and shouted back, "Just don't finish without me!"


	40. Chapter 40

Chapter 40

XoXoXoX

"Do you remember how much mom hated taking us shopping for clothes?" Martin asked as he took a sip of his beer. He and his sisters were sitting on the deck of the boat, enjoying the cool salty air as they shared memories from their childhood.

"No, she hated taking you," Parker replied as she pointed her beer bottle at him accusingly. "She had no problem taking me and Reese."

"That's because we loved going shopping," Reese said as she reached past Martin to grab the bag of chips. She pulled out a chip and held it in her hand before doing her ritual. She had this annoying habit of breaking every single chip in two before she ate each piece. It was as if the size of a potato chip was too much to chew at once. "And you were a pain in the ass who would have been happy walking around in khaki shorts and t-shirts everyday."

"What's wrong with that?" he asked, polishing off his beer and tossing it in the plastic bag before getting a new one out of the cooler. "It's just clothes."

Parker rolled her eyes and looked at her sister. "Thank goodness Samantha dresses him now or he'd still be showing off his lousy taste in fashion."

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked, sitting back down as his sisters chuckled softly.

Reese leaned back on her chair, her feet propped up on the rail. "Martin, even you cannot deny that since you and Samantha got married you are dressing so much better. Left to your own devices you'd still be wearing those god awful checkered shirts and paisley ties."

He glanced down at what he was wearing; a pair of dark blue denim jeans, a black sweater over his grey t-shirt. Each piece of clothing picked out and purchased for him by Sam. "Okay, maybe you have a point."

They all laughed softly before growing quite again, just the sounds of the water lapping against the boat, each lost in their own thoughts and memories.

Reese tilted her head back, looked up at the stars and broke the silence. "I'm glad that we had the anniversary party for them."

"So am I," Parker breathed out, running her fingers through her hair. "She looked so beautiful that night. It's a great way for so many to remember her."

Martin nodded his head and looked out onto the water at a buoy bouncing in the distance, its little light flashing. "I don't think I've ever seen mom and dad look so happy…"

XoX

_Martin was in the middle of the dance floor with Grace. She normally loved to dance but tonight she just wanted to keep her small feet on the tops of shoes and let him lead them around. She looked up at him and said, "Okay, now spin me." _

"_Your wish is my command," he replied as she stepped off his shoes and with his one hand holding hers, he spun her around a few times, her dark blue velvet dress fluttering around her. _

_He felt a tap on his shoulder. "May I cut in?" _

_He turned around and found his parents standing next to him, watching Grace with pride. Victor stood tall wearing his dark suit while his mother wore a gold colored silk dress. They both looked radiant. _

"_I don't know, this lovely young lady tends to stomp on shoes," he replied cautiously to his father, "You sure your old feet can handle it?" _

"_I think I'll be alright," Victor replied with narrowed eyes. Martin guided Grace's hand into his father's who smiled down at his granddaughter. "May I have this dance, miss?" _

_Grace giggled and did a little curtsy. "Yes!" _

_As soon as Victor and Grace began dancing, he looked over at his mom who was watching them with delight. He held out his hand and asked, "What do you say? Should we show those two how it's really done?" _

"_Why not?" Katherine replied. _

_As they danced he looked around at the room full of people talking and laughing. He saw Nate running around, chasing some kids that he didn't know but guessed were related to friends of his parents. At a table in the corner sat all of his nieces, Amy, Olivia and Claire along with Ava, Jamie's daughter. They were giggling and chatting conspiratorially when Allison walked up to the table and joined them. She was the girls' hero: she worked for an advertising firm, lived in a trendy loft in the village and was dating a DJ. She was the epitome of cool in their eyes. _

_He turned his head and saw that his mom was looking over at Roger and his new wife, Sue. He didn't know why he still referred to her as his 'new wife' when they had been married for four years but he guessed that any woman Roger was with that wasn't his aunt would always be considered new. _

"_I really wish Bonnie was here tonight," Katherine said softly._

"_Me too," he replied with a heavy sigh, having often wished the same thing. He still missed his aunt who had passed away so long ago. She had always been the one to push him to think big and want more from life. It was strange to think that even in her final hours she was a guiding force in him seeing Sam as something more than a friend. Sam was his rock when his aunt had disappeared. He also knew that his mother missed her sister very much. They were remarkably different but still as close as he was to his own sisters. "Are you missing her a lot tonight?" _

"_I always miss her but tonight even more so," Katherine sighed heavily before smiling with mischief. "She owes me money. She bet me twenty dollars that Victor and I would never last this long." _

"_Really?" He had never heard this information before and was intrigued by the thought of his mom and aunt being so young and at odds over the path the other was choosing. _

"_Oh, she didn't care much for your father when we were first married," she said as they continued dancing. "She used to say he was a square." _

"_I can see that," he replied thoughtfully. "Dad is pretty uptight." _

_She laughed. "He's just reserved." She met his eyes and continued, "Your father may not be all warm and fuzzy but he has a good heart. He can also be funny, warm, affectionate," she paused and added, "not to mention he's pretty darn good in bed." _

_Martin stopped dancing and gaped. "I never, ever wanted to know that." _

_She laughed. "Oh, grow up." _

_He looked back at her with a scowl on his face but began dancing again. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Sam sitting at their table, sipping champagne and talking with Parker and Reese. She met his eyes and waved. He smiled back before returning his attention to his mom. "How did you know dad was the one for you; that your marriage would last this long?" _

_She shook her head. "No one can know how it's all going to turn out. Your father and I had our fair share of tough years and there were plenty of times I wasn't sure we would make it through." She looked over at his father who was spinning Grace round and round with a big goofy grin on his face. "But even in those dark times, there was something inside of me that said not to give up on him. He was a keeper." _

XoX

"I had a great time that night," Reese said softly as she lay down on the bench, bundling the blanket around her. She shifted restlessly and said, "I don't remember this bench being so uncomfortable."

"It's an old boat," Martin commented. He held the bottle cap in his hand, squeezing his fist around it, the ridged edges digging into his flesh before he released. "The cushions are pretty worn."

"We have taken so many trips on the _Muireann_. I think half of my childhood memories are on this boat," Reese said with a laugh. "Do you remember the trip when dad said that we were only going to eat what we caught because he insisted that we learn how to fish properly?"

"We fished all day long and Parker got sunburned because he insisted that we each catch at least one. And then afterwards he went on and on about showing us how to properly gut and fillet a fish?" Martin replied, standing up and lowering his voice to mimic their father's. "Listen up sailors, first you skin the fish like so," he then pretended to hold a fish in one hand and a knife in the other, "when you are done you must debone the fish…"

"And you were so eager to be helpful that you opened up the cooler filled with the live fish but one jumped up and you freaked out and shoved the entire cooler over the side of the boat," Reese said, laughing so hard she snorted. "Dad got so mad and started yelling how now we had nothing to eat but mom just stood up and told him not to worry, that she had brought some frozen pizzas just in case."

"I didn't know who was in more trouble," he said as he sat back down. "Me for tossing the cooler overboard or mom for having brought the pizzas after he made such a big deal about teaching us survival skills and only eating what we caught."

"I still remember the look on his face when she stared at him and said, 'Well, Victor, if it's so important for you to catch what you eat," Martin joined her and together they finished, "I could throw the pizzas in the water and let you reel them in.'"

They both laughed at the memory when Parker abruptly announced, "You know what I can't figure out?" He and Reese looked over at their older sister whose eyes may have been directed at them but were clearly focused on something far off that only she could see. "I can't figure out why. Why did she want to be cremated and have her ashes scattered at sea?"

Martin shared a look with Reese, the levity from earlier screeching to a halt. Reese shifted to an upright position and replied, "I don't know. I always thought she only tolerated sailing because dad loved it so much," she looked around and continued, "If it was dad, it would make sense but…" she trailed off shaking her head. "He was the one who would drag us out here all the time."

"Maybe she did it to make him happy," Martin speculated as he tossed the cap into the air and caught it again. "Give him a chance to say goodbye someplace that is special to him?"

"Has dad talked to you?" Parker asked, an obvious ache to know was evident in her voice.

Martin took a long drink and replied, "No, but that's to be expected." She nodded sadly and took another drink of her beer. Out of the three kids, Parker was closest to their mom and was taking her death the hardest. In the few hours he had been back she had been crying on and off several times. "You know dad internalizes his feelings, it's his way of dealing."

Tears welled up in Parker's eyes and she tilted her head in understanding. A tear fell and she wiped it off her cheek. "I just wish he would show some emotion about losing her. Something, anything."

"He may not show it but I know he's suffering," Martin commented.

"How do you know?" Reese asked as she watched her older sister carefully, clearly trying to decide if she needed to give Parker a hug or a shot of something stronger than beer.

"By the way he is avoiding talking about her," Martin explained as he lowered his eyes. "He keeps saying, 'your mother' rather than Katherine or Kate. He's grieving even though we might not see it. We just have to respect the fact that he needs to do it in his own way."


	41. Chapter 41

Chapter 41

XoXoXoX

Jack spooned the mashed potatoes into the Tupperware container. It seemed no one had an appetite since most of the dinner was being packed up for leftovers for the next meal where he was certain there still wouldn't be much eating.

He was still processing the events from the last 48 hrs and it seemed each time he thought he was closer to understanding someone would drop another bombshell and he would have to stop and regroup. When he learned that Reggie was the main suspect in the investigation he didn't want to believe it but he also couldn't ignore the piling list of connections to all the girls. He also knew, that in all of his years working in the bureau that criminals don't always appear to be one.

After the lineup Kate walked out, visibly upset, and told him that they thought that Reggie was the suspected rapist. She immediately told him and the police that there was no way he was the one and wouldn't hear any argument to the contrary. And the more they tried to press her to remember any details of that night, if she remembered seeing him, she just started to shut down and refused to talk any more.

He thought that Hanna would help since her demeanor perked up at the sight of her older sister but once the pleasantries of her arrival had subsided, in Hanna's now usual whirlwind way, she managed to turn the entire household on its head.

XoX

"_It's like you want it to be him just so you can have someone to blame," Hanna shouted over the dinner table. _

_Jack lowered his knife and fork and stared across at his oldest daughter. She stared back with penetrating brown eyes and her hair was shorter than he remembered. She had only been home for a few hours and already it felt like it did when she was teenager, fighting him about everything. But this argument wasn't about staying up late or going to the movies with some friends, this was about Kate and most particularly, if Reggie played a role in her rape. "I am not singling Reggie out but there are too many coincidences to just dismiss it because he's Vivian's son." _

"_He wouldn't do this," Kate replied, her tone rising in tenacity. Despite the fact that he thought Kate was wrong to not even consider the possibility it felt good to see that spark in his daughter. "There is just no way. He's my friend."_

"_And the guy who raped Morgan was a 'friend' too," Jack replied bitterly. "You need to separate what you think you know from this and look at the evidence." While Reggie admitted to knowing the other girls it wasn't enough to hold him. The case was simultaneously making him their best possible suspect but also harder and harder to prove. "And while you insist he isn't the one you also said you don't remember very much about that night. He agreed to give a DNA sample but since he admitted to seeing you earlier in the evening and kissing you there's a good chance that any matches will be tossed out."_

"_I told you, I had been drinking and I don't remember very much," she replied, shrinking under his gaze. "But that doesn't make him guilty." _

"_And it doesn't automatically make him innocent either," he replied, clenching and unclenching his fists. He quickly glanced at Elaine who was watching the argument like a referee, waiting to see when she would have to ring the bell and send everyone to their separate corners. _

"_Dad, he didn't do this," Kate retorted, pushing her uneaten dinner plate away from her. _

"_Someone did and I think we need to follow every possible lead," he snapped back, sounding harsher than he intended because she recoiled, looking at him like she was afraid. He immediately regretted it but before he could apologize Hanna jumped into the conversation again. _

"_You're being completely irrational," Hanna commented as she stood up and tossed her napkin onto her plate. "I know Reggie better than anyone at this table and I can tell you with one hundred percent certainty that if you keep pursuing him as a suspect you are just giving the real guy a chance to attack another girl." _

"_And I am saying that I just think we need to be one hundred percent sure," he growled, growing increasingly frustrated at going round and round. "And you're fighting me and defending Reggie isn't helping things either." _

_Hanna took a deep breath and tried another tactic. "I want to catch the guy who did this as much as you do. I want to hurt him for what he did to Kate," she looked over at her sister who was once again sinking back into her shell, "but as much as I want those things I know that Reggie isn't the one."_

"_Since when are you Reggie Johnson's character witness?" he asked, surprised by her ferocious defense of Viv's son in spite of the mounting evidence against him. Not to mention that it was her younger sister who was the victim. "You hardly know him." _

_Hanna sighed and said, "Dad, I used to know him very well…intimately in fact." He opened his mouth but no words would form. She lowered her eyes and gently said, "It was just for those two months I lived with you before going to college." _

"_Why didn't you ever tell me?" he stammered out, floored by this confession. "Does Vivian know?"_

"_No, we knew it was just going to be a summer thing and we were worried that if you and Viv found out that you'd make it into a bigger deal than it was." Hanna slumped back into her seat and reached out to hold Kate's hand. "I'm sorry that I never told you." Kate nodded her head in understanding. Hanna looked over at him and said, "Dad, I know you want to catch whoever did this but I also know him and he isn't capable of what he is being accused of."_

_Jack swallowed, trying to digest the information. "Hanna, you knew him years ago. You don't know him anymore." _

_A look of disgust crossed Hanna's face and she stood up again. "I pray that you are only thinking this stupidly because you haven't slept enough to think rationally." She turned to walk away before pausing and giving him a hard look. "You used to tell us to always follow our gut instincts and we won't go wrong." She pressed her hand to her belly and finished, "And my gut tells me that unless you stop thinking this way you are going to regret it for the rest of your life." _

_She turned and walked down the hall to the bedroom. Kate looked at him before sliding the chair back and following her sister. _

XoX

Since then the two girls had been holed up in the guest bedroom. He wanted to go in and talk to them but he knew that if he was still feeling edgy, the two of them would be as well. He didn't want Kate to feel like he wasn't on her side or to push her away but he needed her to be genuinely sure because of the evidence, not because of her friendship with Reggie. He had seen too many people go free because people refused to look beyond their preconceived notions.

Elaine stood at the kitchen sinking, rinsing dishes and cast him a furtive glance before placing them in the dishwasher.

"What?" he asked as he snapped the lid shut and put the container in the refrigerator.

"I was just wondering what you were thinking," she said cautiously. "But judging by your tone I can guess."

"I don't even know what I am thinking," he said as he slammed the refrigerator door shut. "And I especially don't know what my daughter's are thinking." He walked back to the table and started gathering the dirty dishes. "Hanna dated him and never told anyone and now she comes back like she is his personal crusader…not even thinking about how Kate is dealing with all of this or how she might be influencing her sister. I don't want it to be Reggie but there are a lot of connections that I can't ignore just because of my relationship to Vivian."

Elaine turned around to look him square in the eye. "Jack, do you remember what you always tell me when parents start meddling into an investigation?"

He gave her a long pregnant pause before finally replying, "The parents are too close and lack real perspective and objectivity." He picked up the bowl that held the mashed potatoes and put it on the counter next to the sink. "They can obstruct an investigation."

"That's right," she said as she took the bowl and ran it under the water. "And if Kate said there is no way it was Reggie I don't know why you are trying so hard to convince her to think otherwise."

"I'm not trying to get her to do anything but look at the facts."

"But the fact is she is sure he isn't the one," Elaine said, pulling off her dishwashing gloves and tossing them onto the edge of the sink. "And yet you refuse to accept it. I know you mean well but you are just making this harder for her and its making both of you more upset. And what about Vivian, Marcus and Reggie? By continuing on this path you are going to dismantle a very important friendship and possibly destroy a young man's life just by the accusation alone."

He didn't reply right away but just leaned against the counter, folded his arms and stared at the photograph of Kate and Hanna taped to the refrigerator door. It was taken last summer when Kate went out to visit her sister in New Mexico. They were standing at the top of Sandia Peak, the tram visible against the mountainous background. They both had big wide smiles on their faces.

He bit the inside of his cheek, raw anger pulsing through him. "I just want someone to pay for what they did to my daughter."

"I know you do," Elaine said softly. "but if you keep pursuing Reggie and he is innocent like both your daughters insist, you may find that the cost will be too high."


	42. Chapter 42

Chapter 42

XoXoXoX

Sam tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep, her conversation with her mom still playing in her mind and plaguing her with thoughts on what her next step should be. She wished Martin were home already so she could talk to him about it. She cracked open an eye to see Martin's side of the bed still empty. She reached out and ran her hand over his cool pillow. She knew where he was but at the same time an ache appeared in her heart at the mere thought of what it would be like to know that he was never coming home. It was quite different when you know they are just away for a trip or working late, having the bed to yourself is a treat but it is quite another to know you'll never have them by your side; to never wake up in their arms again. She wondered if Victor was lying in bed right now unable to sleep now that the side of the bed that had been occupied by Katherine for over fifty years was empty. It made her feel infinitely sad for her father-in-law at the thought of him sleeping all alone.

She and Martin had been married for a drop in the bucket compared to Katherine and Victor and yet, Martin was inextricably a part of her that she couldn't imagine her life without. She rolled onto her back, a smile tugging at her lips as she remembered the day she first realized that she wanted him with her for the rest of her life.

XoX

_Sam sat on the stoop of their apartment building drinking a cup of coffee and reading the newspaper as she waited for Martin and Milo to get back from their run. It was a classic fall morning; the air cool and crisp, the leaves on the trees that lined their street were yellow, orange, red and gold. She folded the section she was reading and set it down next to the water bowl and bottled water and grabbed the sports section. _

_She turned the page of the newspaper when she heard the door open up behind her. She glanced over her shoulder to see Mrs. Rasche, the elderly woman who lived on the first floor of the brownstone exiting the building on her way to Sunday morning mass. _

"_Good morning," Sam greeted her as she set her cup and paper down on a step so she could help the elder lady descend the stairs. _

"_Good morning, Samantha," Mrs. Rasche greeted her, placing her small fragile hand in hers. The older woman's skin was soft and thin in Sam's as she helped her step down. "Are you waiting for your little family to get back from their run?"_

"_Yes," she replied. Martin had moved in over a year ago and she knew that Mrs. Rasche had taken a shine to Martin since he helped her move an armoire. She would bake some cookies for him on occasion, chat them up in the hallway and even give Milo large bones that she would have left over from making her monthly roast. _

"_He's a good man. You make sure you hang on to him," Mrs. Rasche said as they took a careful step down. "He reminds me a lot of my first husband. He was a very good man as well and quite a looker, too."_

_Sam watched as the older woman's hand gripped the rail, the skin so thin it was almost translucent and dotted with the brown liver spots. She waited until the woman let her hand slide down a bit to prepare to step down again before she said, "I didn't know you were married before, I always thought you and Mr. Rasche had been married since you were nineteen."_

"_We were," Mrs. Rasche replied. "But I married my first husband, Nathaniel, when I was eighteen on a fall day much like this one. September 15, 1941 and for three months we were the happiest newlyweds you could ever imagine. We lived in a tiny attack apartment in Brooklyn and we didn't have much money but we had a lot love and when you're young that's enough."_

_Sam smiled at Mrs. Rasche, knowing precisely what she was talking about. When she was eighteen she married Dennis Gellar. But in her case the first few months of her marriage were red hot before the last few months turned ice cold. She waited for Mrs. Rasch to get her footing before asking, "What happened to Nathaniel?" _

"_Three months later the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and the very next day he enlisted in the navy," she softly replied. "And on October eleventh he was killed in the __Battle of Cape Esperance__." _

"_I'm so sorry," Sam said as they reached the sidewalk. She helped make sure that Mrs. Rasche was steady on her feet. "It must have been difficult to be widowed so young." _

"_I was just one of many during those years," Mrs. Rasche replied, her tone measured equally in sadness and resolution. "But thankfully, I met Bill and he agreed to marry me."_

"_What do you mean 'agreed'? You make it sound like an arrangement," Sam said, watching as Mrs. Rasche straightened her hat. _

"_It started out that way, yes," she replied with a small smile. "You see, before Nate shipped out he left me a life long present."_

"_You were pregnant," Sam breathed out. _

"_Yes, I was," Mrs. Rasche said, nodding her head. "And in those days it wasn't very easy for a single mother to raise a child alone so my aunt introduced me to Bill. He wasn't able to serve because he was deaf in his left ear. He was a good match. He was a butcher in his father's shop and willing to marry a pregnant widow." _

"_He never minded that the baby wasn't his?"_

"_Michael was his son in every way that counted," she replied with a wistful smile. "And eventually we had some of our own."_

"_Wasn't it hard to marry a man you didn't love?" _

"_That's the modern day woman romanticism," Mrs. Rasche teased as she shifted her purse from one arm to the other. "In my day you married for practicality as easily as you did for love. And since I married for love the first time I figured I had my chance. Eventually I did fall in love with Bill. It wasn't the same kind as with Nate but it was real and we had a good marriage until the day he died." She reached out and put her hand on Sam's arm. "I only got three months with my Nate but there were some of the happiest days of my life. So you cherish that man of yours, he's a good egg, I can tell. Time flies by faster than you think." _

_Mrs. Rasche excused herself and started down the sidewalk. Sam sat back down on the stoop and picked up her coffee, watching as she walked away; her gait was slow but steady as she disappeared around the corner. _

_She stared into her cup, recalling how Mrs. Rasche often referred to Martin and Milo as her 'little family' and if she was truly honest with herself that's who they were. When Martin moved in they had both tap danced around the subject of marriage, never really talking about it. She knew that he thought she was still gun shy and didn't want to push it. _

_But surprisingly she had started thinking about it more and more, particularly after seeing how happy Danny and Emma were. They were happily married and expecting twins. She considered them to be hers and Martin's counterparts since they were the couple they spent the most time with and being around them, it was as if they were rubbing off on her. She found herself wanting what they had. She didn't know what she was so scared of, truth be told she knew deep in her heart that Martin wasn't going anywhere. Living together or getting married, they both knew that they were the ones for each other. _

_She heard a dog barking in the distance and looked down the street to see Martin jogging behind Milo. The big Lab, who always got excited at the sight of home sped up, his tongue dangling and tail wagging. Martin released the leash and the big dog bolted straight for her, nuzzling her with his big wet nose. _

"_Hey buddy," she said as she wrestled him a bit before he finally settled down, sitting on his haunches so he could drink water from his bowl. _

"_Hey," Martin greeted her, leaning down and planting a soft kiss on her lips before sitting down. He reached past her and grabbed the water bottle, taking a long drink. When he was done he leaned back, his eyes glancing around the neighborhood. "I have to clean my gun later, do you want me to do yours or…"_

"_Martin, will you marry me?" she blurted out. _

_He held the water bottle to his lips and stared at her, dumbstruck. He finally lowered the bottle and asked, "Um, wha...what did you just say?" _

_She smiled and reached up, holding his face in her hands. "I love you and I know you love me, we live together, what's mine is yours and vice versa. We both know that our jobs are dangerous and every morning we put our lives on the line but I also know that I cannot imagine a life without you by my side every day. And I know that I always said that marriage wasn't for me, but who are we kidding? We're pretty much set on each other so we should just make it official. Let everyone know that it's you and me forever." She choked up a little but managed to ask again, "So, will you marry me?" _

_He looked at her with so much tenderness that in that instant she believed that if love was a color it would be the same shade of blue as his eyes. He cleared his throat and said, "Yes" just before leaning in and kissing her. _

XoX

She reached up and ran her fingertips over the smile playing on her lips remembering what they did after the kiss. She held up her hand and studied her ring finger, the platinum band glittering against the small bit of moonlight. Martin had wanted to get her an engagement ring but she insisted that they just exchange simple wedding bands. Considering how much time she spent in the field she didn't want anything she could potentially lose or damage.

She rolled over onto her side and closed her eyes but she knew her brain was working too fast to go to sleep so she reached for the remote and clicked on the TV. It forever amazed her that even though she had five hundred cable channels to choose from that at one in the morning there was still nothing on. She finally settled on an older sitcom and put the remote back down.

"Are you really watching _Golden Girls_?"

She turned her head towards the door to see Martin entering the room. It was clear he thought he was going to be sneaking in so as not to wake her but seeing she was already up he closed the door behind him and shuffled his way to the bed.

"I happen to like it," she replied with a small smile.

He crawled on top of the bed and sprawled out next to her, still fully dressed. She reached up and gently caressed his temple. "How are you doing?"

"I still can't believe she's gone," he breathed out, taking her hand and turning it over so he could kiss her palm. "Parker is upset that dad is being demonstrative in his mourning but I told her that's just how our dad is. If he has an emotion he'd rather bottle it up than show the whole world." As he continued to tell her about the conversations he and his sisters had on the boat he toed off his shoes and let them fall to the floor. She lay next to him, listening to stories she had heard before as well as new ones that made her smile, learning new parts of Martin's life that helped shape him into the man he was today. Still holding her hand in his, he finished, "So we decided that Parker would give the eulogy. But what about you, how was your night?"

She paused, wondering if tonight really was the best time to talk to him about the conversation with her mother. "It was fine. Just had dinner, watched a movie with the kids, and talked to my mom."

He turned his head to look at her. "You did? How's she doing?"

"She's fine, she sends her condolences," she replied, deciding to wait to tell him the news about her father.

"And?"

"And what?"

He rolled onto his side so they were face to face. "You're holding something back." He reached over with his hand and brushed her hair from her face. "Did you finally ask her about your dad?"

The corner of her mouth curved up into a sad smile at seeing how, even in his daze of grief, he could still see through her so clearly. "Yeah I did."

"And?" he asked carefully. "What did you find out?"

"She told me a lot more than I had anticipated…"

XoX

"_You want to talk about your father," Diane replied. Even through the phone Sam could hear the apprehension in her mother's voice. _

"_I just have been going through some things lately and I've been thinking about him." She licked her lips and wrapped an arm around her legs that were pressed up against her chest. "Like why you think he left?" The other end of the line was quiet for a long beat. "Mom, you still there?" _

"_Yeah, it's just I always knew someday you were going to ask me but I still don't know how to answer," Diane replied, sounding apologetic. _

"_I know I caught you off guard but it's just with Katherine dying…I just realized that I don't even know if my father is still alive," Sam explained, trying to remain composed. _

"_He's still alive as far as I know," Diane replied confidently. _

"_What makes you so sure?" she asked, lowering her gaze and staring at the pattern on the duvet. _

_Diane sighed audibly. "I run into his friend, Lloyd, every few years when his route changes and he drives his rig through town. I last spoke to Lloyd about two years ago and he told me that Max was working in a bar in Spokane." She heard the sound of a chair scrapping against the heavy wood floors of her mom's house and she pictured her sitting down. "I'm pretty sure that if your father passed Lloyd would let me know." _

"_Why didn't you tell me or Bridget that you heard about where dad was?" _

"_I honestly didn't know if you girls would care," Diane replied unaffectedly. "After your father left you girls would ask about him all time but after a few years you both just stopped asking altogether. Then you stopped even mentioning the fact that he existed so I thought I should just leave well enough alone." _

_Sam pinched the bridge of her nose. "I stopped asking because it seemed to upset you too much." _

"_Oh sweetie I'm sorry," Diane creaked out. "I honestly thought I was sparing you and your sister by keeping quiet." _

"_I know you did," Sam replied as tears spilled down her cheeks. Outside she heard the kids screaming out in cheerful glee. She swallowed and asked, "Mom, why do you think he left?" _

_She could practically feel her mom tense up at the question. "I could make guesses from here to eternity, he wanted out of our marriage, he wasn't ready for the responsibility of being a parent…but the truth of the matter is that he's the only one who knows. But whatever his reasons were, I want you to know that he is who he is and you are who you are. I don't want his issues cloud the life you've made for yourself now. His leaving was his loss; he's the one who missed out on seeing you and your sister, Bridget, grow into the wonderful women you are now." _

"_Thanks mom," Sam replied, knowing her mother was trying to make her feel better. She knew because she would do the same thing for her kids. "Did Lloyd tell you anything else?" _

_Diane cleared her throat and said, "There wasn't much to tell. Just that Max changed jobs and moved around a lot." _

"_Did you find out which bar he worked at?" she asked, already planning on using her FBI resources to try and locate him. _

"_Are you going to go looking for him?" Diane asked, worriedly. _

"_Like you said," Sam replied, squaring her shoulders. "He's the only one who can give me the answers I need." _

XoX

"She's worried about me finding him," Sam finished as she moved closer to Martin, letting him pull her into an embrace. "When we hung up she told me that she loved me and to be careful not to set my expectations too high. I told her the problem I have is setting my expectations too low."

Martin ran his hand over her arm, his fingertips just grazing the surface of her skin. "I'm glad you asked. I know that must have been hard."

She nuzzled herself into the crook between his neck and shoulder and replied, "Thinking about it, this was the easy part. Seeing my dad after all these years, that's going to be hard."


	43. Chapter 43

Chapter 43

XoXoXoX

Viv sat at the dining room table with the laptop open. She had spent a better part of the morning doing as much research as she could on the rapes on the college campuses. So far it had remained under the media radar so there wasn't information available. This greatly limited the amount of research she could gather. If this was any other situation she would call up Jack and ask for his help but that wasn't even an option. She closed her eyes and rubbed the sides of her temple, trying to erase the oncoming headache. She couldn't believe that Jack doubted Reggie, thinking that her son would be capable of doing that to Kate. She had always considered Jack and his daughters as part of her family. They had shared countless meals and holidays together. But now, the thought of sharing a cup of coffee with the man made her blood boil.

While she knew that Jack was just trying to protect his daughter his lack of faith in her son was enough to create an irrevocable fracture in their friendship.

She opened her eyes and reached for her cup of coffee as she did another search. She had tried to call Martin or Samantha for assistance but their nanny informed her that his mother had passed away and they were in Washington for the funeral. Danny wasn't an option right now, his troubles with his own son taking precedence. It seemed all of their lives were in turmoil, the people who they would normally lean on in times of crisis were too busy trying to keep themselves standing to offer any support.

She heard someone move behind her and turned around to see Reggie wander into the kitchen looking like he hadn't slept in the two days since he was interrogated at the police station.

"Sorry to interrupt," he said as he jerked his chin to her laptop. "I just wanted a glass of water."

"You're not interrupting," she said as she quickly folded it closed. "I'm just doing some research. Are your father and Henry still watching that documentary on W.E.B. DuBois in the living room?"

He nodded as he pulled a glass out of the cabinet. "Henry's watching it but I think dad's just pretending." He stood at the sink and filled up his glass with water from the tap. "When I walked by he had his eyes on me the whole time."

"He's just worried about you," she replied with a heavy sigh. "We both are."

Reggie shook his head disgustedly. "This whole thing sucks. I didn't do anything but I am forced to hide out at my mom and dad's house while the real guy is wandering the streets freely." He sat down on the chair next to her. "I can't even go see Kate and explain, make her understand that it wasn't me."

"Reggie, you know why you can't do that," Viv said, reaching over and placing her hand on his forearm. She knew that he wanted to make sure that Kate was okay but it would be easy for a prosecuting attorney to skew it and make it look like Reggie was harassing her. Distance was needed. "You need to give them time to sort this out. Seeing Kate right now won't help things, it will only make it worse."

"You always used to preach to me that the truth shall set you free," he replied.

"And it will, but sometimes the truth takes time to come out."

Her son shook his head again and quickly stood up. "I'm going back to my cell, I mean, bedroom."

She watched him walk away wishing she could just kiss it to make it all go away like she did when he was a child and needed comfort.

XoX

"_Mama! Mama!" seven-year old Reggie cried out._

_Viv jumped off the park bench and ran to where her little boy had fallen off the jungle gym, holding his scraped up knee close to him. _

"_What happened baby?" she asked as she knelt down in front of him and examined his wound. _

_He had tears streaming down his face and between gasps he muttered out, "I was going across the monkey bars but…but I lost my grip and…and I fell." _

_She brushed the sand off of the wound and saw that he had a pretty nasty gash but it wasn't deep enough to warrant a trip to the ER. "I think you're going to be fine," she said as she kissed him on the foreheard. "Come on, sweetie, let's get you home so I can clean you up and get a band-aid on your cut." _

_He wiped his eyes with his fist and nodded his head as she pulled him up. She started to lead him off the playground, walking hand in hand before she pulled him to her, her arm wrapped around his small shoulders. He leaned against her, his feet slowly shuffling in time with hers. "You're going to be fine, baby."_

_His crying was slowly starting to taper off. "Can you make me some chocolate milk when we get home?" _

"_Sure," she replied as she rubbed his back. "I'd do anything for my baby boy."_

XoX

The phone rang, startling her out of her memory, and she walked over to the phone mounted on the wall and answered it. "Johnson."

"Hello Vivian, it's Jesse."

Viv leaned her hip against the counter and said, "Please tell me you're calling with some good news."

"For the most part, yes," Jesse replied. "All of the girls admitted to knowing Reggie but none of them could positively identify him as their assailant. Also, it seems that Kate Malone is his biggest advocate. She insisted that there is no way he's the guy."

"Really?" she replied, a lump in her throat. Not only was there a Malone on her son's side, but it was the one person who had the most right not to be. She took a breath and asked, "So is he off their list of suspects?"

Jesse paused. "I don't think so. According to one of my sources at the station, Det. Schmid is still betting on Reggie. The only thing I can say is that he needs to just stay out of trouble and under no circumstances should he attend any frat parties until this guy is caught."

"I don't think he is going to want to attend any parties for awhile," Viv replied before thanking Jesse and hanging up. While Reggie wasn't completely in the clear as of yet, it was enough to know that they didn't have a case. So with a small smile on her face she exited the kitchen to tell Marcus and Reggie the good news.


	44. Chapter 44

Chapter 44

XoXoXoX

"Shouldn't the medicine be kicking in by now?" Danny asked Emma as he rubbed Diego's leg.

"Soon," she replied as he lay behind their son who had been complaining of pain. Diego's eyes were clenched shut, trying to deal with the ache that went straight to his bones. He didn't know why but things had been going so well with his family that one some level he thought it was healing his son and incidents likes these wouldn't be happening very much anymore. It was a foolish thought but he had hoped.

"Try and focus on a good memory, baby," Emma whispered softly, practicing the technique that seemed to work best – distraction. "Maybe playing in the park on a nice spring day…" Diego groaned and shut his eyes tighter.

Danny leaned in close and whispered, "Diego remember when we went swimming with the sea turtles?"

The little boy cracked an eye open and said, "Uh-huh, it was where you asked mom to marry you."

"Yeah, it was," Danny smiled at his son. A little over a year ago, they had taken a family vacation in Hawaii with Martin and Samantha. They all went snorkeling where he had proposed to Emma so long ago. "Do you remember when me, you and Mike went diving down with the turtles and fish? The water was cool and clear…"

XoX

_Danny guided the twins to the coral reef below. He enjoyed the feeling of being weightless in this beautiful environment. He looked over to see the two boys swimming and pointing gleefully to everything they saw. This was one of his favorite parts of being a parent, seeing his children's eyes wide with wonder and curiosity; each new discovery was an exciting adventure. He took it upon himself to be their guide and would swim to a reef and point out things that his boys might have missed. Each boy would kick their flippers and swim over, smiling so wide that little bubbles were released from their mouths. _

_Every few minutes they would swim back above to take a breath and talk about what they saw. Danny made sure they were okay before glancing over near the boat to see Martin nearby helping Grace swim along the surface, holding her up with his arms and instructing her on how to kick her legs. She would kick hard, splashing water all over Martin who was laughing at his little girl. He smiled at them before looking down at the beach to see Emma and Sam with the younger boys, laughing as they wadded around the surf. _

_Emma looked over at the same time and waved, a big grin on her face before returning her attention to Eli who fell down on to the sand. _

"_Oh, man, did you see that one blue fish?" Mike asked as he wiped some water off his face. "Its eyes were all googly." He rolled his own eyes around to demonstrate. _

"_What about that turtle that got so close? I almost got to touch it," Diego said as he bobbed up and down in the water. "Did you see it dad?"_

"_It was pretty amazing wasn't it?" he replied, playfully splashing the boys. "I'm glad you are having fun."_

"_This is awesome!" Diego replied with a big grin. "Can we go back down now?" _

"_Let's do it," he said as he put his snorkeling mask back on. Less than a minute later they were all back into the deep clear blue. He watched as the boys gave each other thumbs up signs and explored the reef. _

_The three of them swam around when a great big turtle came swimming up near Diego and the boy reached out with his small had and ran it over the large shell. He looked up and met Danny's eyes, a big smile on both their faces. _

XoX

"That was fun," Diego croaked out, sounding drowsy, evidence that his pain meds were taking effect.

"It sure was mijo," Danny replied, scooting closer to look at his boy's face. "And as soon as you get better how about we go back and see if we can find that turtle again."

"Okay," Diego replied, closing his eyes again. He watched as Emma delicately massaged the boy's back when he breathed out, "Sing that song, dad."

"What song?" Danny asked.

"The song that you used to sing to us when we were kids," Mike whispered from his bed.

Danny looked over at his other son that he thought was still asleep. He should have known that Mike couldn't sleep through this. When the boys were infants they shared a crib but once they grew bigger he and Emma tried separating them but they would each cry until they were put back together. They shared a womb for nine months and it seemed that even cribs merited the same closeness. "You remember, the Cuban lullaby."

Danny smiled over at Mike, who was watching the scene with sleepy, sad eyes. "I remember." He cleared his throat and began singing the lullaby he remembered his own mother singing to him when he was a little boy. "Arrurrú mi nino, arrurrú mi sol, arrurrú pedazo de mi corazón. Este nino lindo ya quiere dormir, háganle la cuna de rosa y jazmín."

He tried to sing it with the same inflection his mother used to use when she sang it to him. He didn't have many memories of his mother but the one where she would sing him to sleep stood out above the rest. He remembered that when she sang, it sounded soft, sad, and infinitely tender like love. At least that is how he felt. Loved.

So when he first became a father it just felt natural to sing the same song to his own boys because he finally understood what it meant to sing the song to his own children. "Háganle la cama, pónganle un jazmín que con su fragancia me lo haga dormir. Arrurrú mi nino, arrurrú mi sol, arrurrú pedazo de mi corazón." He moved over so his back was resting against the side of Mike's bed, the young boy hung his arm off the mattress so that Danny could hold it. He gave it a squeeze as he continued, "Esta leche linda que le traigo aquí es para este nino que se va a dormir. Arrurrú mi nino, arrurrú mi sol, arrurrú pedazo de mi corazón. Este nino lindo se quiere dormir, cierra sus ojitos y los vuelve a abrir."

He noticed that Diego was finally drifting off to sleep. His son hated taking the pain medication but on some nights it was the only way he could find rest. He reached over and placed his free hand over Diego's and finished, "Arrurrú mi nino, arrurrú mi sol. Duérmase pedazo de mi corazón, de mi corazón."


	45. Chapter 45

Chapter 45

XoXoXoX

"Here it is," Victor announced as he emerged from the wine closet just off the kitchen. "The two thousand six Pittaro Pinot Grigio. Your mother and I bought it when we went on that wine tasting tour."

He handed the bottle to Martin who examined the label and replied, "Thanks, dad."

He nodded at him before walking over to help Reese pack up the bags of food while Parker checked to make sure they had everything they needed.

The family decided to scatter their mom's ashes during a moonlight sail since it was one of her favorite times to be out on the water. They were going to make it a dinner party of sorts, eat all of their mom's favorite foods and drink her favorite wines. Martin listened idly as Parker went over the checklist as he and Sam stood nearby stocking the cooler with drinks for the kids and liquor for the adults. Normally a lot of this stuff was in stock on the boat but he and his sisters consumed quite a bit of it when they hung out the night before so they needed to replenish supplies.

He finished stocking the cooler, packing the ice in tightly and closed the lid. Sam ran her hand over his back as she whispered in his ear, "I'll go make sure the kids are ready."

He nodded his head and she kissed him softly before disappearing upstairs. He appreciated how tender she was being with him during this time. It had already been an emotional day and this was going to be the last step in their mother's funeral. This morning they had the memorial service and along with close friends and family it seemed like every important government and judicial official was present to honor Katherine's memory.

He glanced over at Parker who was hunting for something in the refrigerator. She had done an amazing job giving the eulogy and he didn't even mind that a portion of it was at his expense.

XoX

_He sat in the front row with his father on his left and Sam and the kids on his right. On the other side of Grace were Reese, Claire and then Parker's husband and daughters. He glanced around before his gaze landed on the urn sitting on the altar. It was hard to process that the decorative gold vase could contain his mother. It seemed too small to contain a woman with such a dynamic personality. Her spirit was too large to be enclosed in such a confined space and he wondered if that was another reason his mom chose cremation. She hated be boxed up or closed in, scattering her ashes to the wind and sea would suit her desire to be free. _

_As soon as the priest was done with the sermon he stepped aside and Martin's eyes followed Parker as she walked to the podium. He took breath and Sam intertwined her hand in his and gave him a reassuring squeeze. _

_His oldest sister adjusted the microphone before beginning, "It's amazing to see so many faces here today to pay their respects," she glanced at him and Reese, "to our mother. In the last few days we have received so many phone calls, faxes and telegrams offering condolences and sharing stories. I have come to realize that there was still so much about my mother I didn't know about. For example, some of her fellow judges have told me that she used to tell the best dirty jokes, always ate the same chicken salad in the courthouse cafeteria, never forgot a birthday and always remembered to ask about their families. They described her as a funny lady with a sharp mind, quick wit and a friendly ear when you needed one." _

_She paused, dabbing tears from her eyes with a handkerchief. "But to myself, Reese and Martin this isn't the Katherine Fitzgerald we knew as our mother. The Katherine we knew could be critical, meddlesome, and smothering," she lowered her eyes before raising her gaze back up, "but she was also funny, forgiving, and loving. She never told us any of those dirty jokes but that might be because she charged us a quarter if we ever said a curse word. She was the biggest Emmylou Harris fan there ever was and attended probably every single one of her concerts within in a fifty mile radius." There was a scattering of laughter. "The woman we knew could stare down a criminal defendant but was terrified of spiders. She loved to eat but hated to cook. She loved plants but killed every single one she brought home. She loved road trips but hated to drive. She loved to sing but couldn't carry a tune." Parker smiled at the crowd and finished, "And when we were kids she would travel a lot for work so we spent most summers at camp or visiting our aunt Bonnie. But we always knew that at the end of the summer she and our dad would spend an entire weekend with us on the Muireann._

"_When we first found out her wish to have her ashes scattered at sea we were shocked. It just didn't seem like her but the other night, talking with my brother and sister I suddenly realized that some of my fondest memories of her were on that boat. So I would like to share a story with all of you."_

_She took a breath and smiled at the congregation. "When I was about ten and Martin was eight and Reese was six we had just set sail on a particularly hot day. Once we were pretty far out to sea, my mom told dad to park the boat – she also never learned nautical terms – anyway, she said, 'Victor, park this boat. I want to go for a swim.' And dad, who could never deny her, set anchor down. She looked at all of us kids and said, 'Let's get into this water and cool off.' Now, to Reese and me, this meant change into our bathing suits and then take a swim." She looked straight at Martin. "But to Marty, in what has long since become his MO of acting before thinking, leaped off the boat, fully dressed, and dived into the water."_

_There was more laughter and even a little applause. He shook his head at his sister sharing this story with everyone but smiled when Sam chuckled softly and leaned into his side. _

"_So, Reese and I just stood there gaping at him, waiting to see what our parents would do when mom just started laughing this loud booming laugh that made her entire body shake." Parker smiled at the memory and Martin smiled back with tears stinging his eyes. "So we started laughing, too. Then she looked at us and winked before diving over the side after Martin. So, of course, Reese and I followed. Dad took a little more coaxing but even he joined in. So we swam around in the ocean still wearing our clothes. It was a lot of fun to see our normally reserved parents be so carefree. Afterwards we all changed into our pajamas and bundled up under a bunch of blankets and drank cocoa. It was probably one of my favorite memories from my childhood." _

_Martin shared a look with Reese, knowing full well it was one of theirs, too. He could still remember the feeling of his sneakers filling with water and the expression on his mother's face as she swam around him._

"_I think that's why our mother decided to have her ashes scattered at sea. It was the one place we all gathered as family and really got to have fun together without any outside distractions. This was long before satellite cell phones, fax machines, or laptop computers so it wasn't easy for our parents to do work. On the boat they could actually relax and just cut loose with us. I think that is something our mother wanted us to remember." A few tears streamed down her cheeks as she finished, "And I will always remember the look on her face as she stood on the deck of the boat, laughing as the sun shined down on her." _

XoX

"Where's the Camembert?" Parker asked as she scanned the contents of the refrigerator.

"I don't think we have any," Reese replied as she put the fruit bowl in the picnic basket.

Parker closed the door and said, "I told you to buy some. It's her favorite cheese."

"We have everything else," Reese replied, holding the baguette as she stared back at her sister. "No one else really likes it so I didn't think we needed it."

"But it's her favorite!" Parker snapped back, tears collecting at the corner of her eyes.

"I'll run to the store and get some," Martin interrupted before what was already a difficult situation escalated into an argument over stinky cheese. "It'll take less than twenty minutes." He grabbed the keys to his mother's car off the counter and looked over at his sisters who seemed relieved by his offer. "I'll be right back."

"I'll go with you, son," Victor said as he followed Martin out. Once outside he whispered, "I hope you don't mind my tagging along but your sister is…"

"An emotional time bomb on a short fuse?" Martin supplied.

Victor smiled. "Yeah."

Martin saw that the car was blocked in by Parker's SUV so he started to turn around when Victor held up his own car keys and said, "We can take my car." He tossed them at Martin. "You drive. My night vision isn't what it used to be."

It was funny that even in his forties, having his dad hand the car keys transported him to the feeling he used to get when was a teenager. That same excited nervousness in the pit of his stomach. They both climbed into the car and Martin remembered something else about getting to drive his dad's car; his father was a lot taller than he was. He reached down to click the button to pull the seat forward when his hand brushed up against something. He looked down at a gold chain on the floormat. He picked it up and saw that it was connected to a pair of reading glasses.

He held them in his hand, realizing that they were his mother's. He even saw that they had a smudge on one of the lenses and his throat closed knowing that it was her cheek imprinted on the glass. He swallowed and showed them to his dad. "Look what I found."

Victor smiled and said, "Oh boy, your mother was looking everywhere for these." He took the glasses, studying them. "She insisted that she left them in the car but I told her I searched all over it. She's going to be so mad when I tell her…" he stopped, suddenly realizing what he had just said, talking about Katherine in the present tense.

Martin sat there watching his father stare down at the frames in his hand, uncertain on what to do, when suddenly Victor started to cry. It began as quiet tears before slowly morphing into open sobbing. Martin fidgeted in his seat unsure of how to proceed since he hadn't ever seen his father looking so vulnerable. Victor leaned forward, cradling his head in his hands so Martin did the only thing he could think of, he reached out and placed the palm of his hand on his father's back and let him cry.

Once the crying stopped, Victor sat up and facing straight ahead said, "We better get going. Parker will wonder what's taking so long."

He wanted to tell his father something comforting or consoling but that wasn't the relationship they had so he put the key in the ignition and they drove to the store in silence, both knowing full well that after this moment passed, they were never to speak of it again.

Later that night, the entire family stood on the deck of the _Muireann _to say their final goodbyes as Victor held the urn in his hands, looking uncomfortable by all the public displays of emotion. Before Martin scattered the ashes everyone took a moment to say something about Katherine. From Reese talking about how their mom helped her through her divorce to Grace saying she was going to miss Grandma playing tea party with her.

When it was his turn to speak, he gave Sam's hand a squeeze before letting go and stepping up. He took a deep breath and began, "While Parker described mom really well at the service this afternoon there was something she forgot to mention; mom was a hardass." Everyone laughed. "She never let us get away with anything if she thought we were making a huge mistake. Whenever she thought I was doing something boneheaded she would take every opportunity to let me know. The worst part is she was usually right." He rubbed his thumb into the palm of his hand in order to keep himself focused. He stole a glance at Sam who gave him an encouraging smile as she adjusted Nate on her hip. "When I told her I was going to quit college and open a surf shop with some friends she was relentless until I finally gave up the idea. It was a good thing since the business went under six months later. And of course when I broke up with Sam she was right to hound me every day for months reminding me that I was an idiot until I finally came to my senses."

"Yes she was," Sam replied with a smirk as she put down a fidgety Nate.

"Anyway…" he segued with a roll of his eyes, "the thing is she was there every day of my life, calling me out and making me check my head. And I'm going to miss hearing her voice calling me an idiot or even just calling up to ask how things are going." He gave a tight smile and finished, "I'm going to miss her a lot."

He watched as each member of the family shed some tears and exchanged hugs; everyone that is except his father. When Reese started to say a few words about their mother, he looked over at his dad to see him standing tall and gazing out in to the ocean, his face blank and unreadable. For some reason, knowing that his dad was holding in his feelings made him feel the saddest for him. While he knew that everyone else was visibly upset by his mother's death he also knew they would be able to move on. But seeing his dad like this, looking lost and alone, he wasn't so sure he would be able to survive without his other half.

"Martin," Sam said gently, touching his shoulder. He shifted his focus to her and she said, "It's time."

He nodded his head and walked over, taking the ashes from his father and leaning over the side of the boat. He removed the lid to the urn and tilted it over, the gray and white ashes blowing off into the wind or landing on the water, the waves slowly pulling the under until there was no more. When he was done he put the lid back on the urn and set it down on the deck.

Sam stood behind him and roped her arm around his waist. He wrapped his arm around her and kissed her on the temple as they stared out at the water. He bit his lip and whispered, "Goodbye mom."

End Book II

To be continued in Book III


End file.
